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The legitimate business has a contract to pick up the garbage reliably. It costs a certain amount of money because the legitimate business will recoup costs. If

The legitimate business has a contract to pick up the garbage reliably. It costs a certain amount of money because the legitimate business will recoup costs. If they can’t do that because of the scavengers, the city, and consequently you and I, will have to pay more the next time the contract is negotiated.

Nextgrid 6y ago
If the scavengers are doing such a good job, why do we even need the “legitimate” business? In fact why shouldn’t the scavengers be considered legitimate when they provide a more timely service than the current incumbents? It seems like the market is working as designed and the scavengers are successfully competing since they are able to provide the same service more efficiently than the current company.
- gpderetta 6y ago
  Scavengers might be opportunistic and only pick up the easily accessed or easily recycled trash whenever it is convenient for them. Legitimate collectors will have to pick all the trash at scheduled times.
- cjhveal 6y ago
  Probably to satisfy legal duties. Someone, landlord or municipality, has a legal obligation to ensure that waste is dealt with regularly and appropriately. If they contract with a third party, they have fulfilled that legal obligation, and even if the trash piles up, the question becomes why did the third party not fulfill the contract. If the responsible party leaves it to scavengers, they are assuming liability should the trash pile up. Ultimately, this legal service is why the "legitimate" business isn't providing the exact same service as scavengers, though I agree with you it is less efficient at waste removal.
- buran77 6y ago
  Some of the legitimate contracts do get handed out based on political favors or bribes. This being said those contracts ensure some legal obligations for the service provider. Everything from providing the recycling bins, to providing service to everyone equally, to providing service consistently. And the recyclables are usually picked up by the same company pickling up the garbage. With that income gone they'd just jack up the prices for the garbage, which I assure you won't be picked up by any scavenger. You don't want your garbage or recyclables to stay on the street corner for days because the scavengers don't provide any bins, there's no money in garbage pickup, and your recyclables are too small game for them to go out of their way to pick them up. As a city you also don't want to realize one day that they just moved on to even more profitable business elsewhere while heaps of trash are popping up around town. As with anything, if it's important you want more than just best effort by someone who's anyway just piggy backing on someone else's groundwork.

Nextgrid 6y ago

If the scavengers are doing such a good job, why do we even need the “legitimate” business? In fact why shouldn’t the scavengers be considered legitimate when they provide a more timely service than the current incumbents? It seems like the market is working as designed and the scavengers are successfully competing since they are able to provide the same service more efficiently than the current company.

gpderetta 6y ago
Scavengers might be opportunistic and only pick up the easily accessed or easily recycled trash whenever it is convenient for them. Legitimate collectors will have to pick all the trash at scheduled times.
cjhveal 6y ago
Probably to satisfy legal duties. Someone, landlord or municipality, has a legal obligation to ensure that waste is dealt with regularly and appropriately. If they contract with a third party, they have fulfilled that legal obligation, and even if the trash piles up, the question becomes why did the third party not fulfill the contract. If the responsible party leaves it to scavengers, they are assuming liability should the trash pile up. Ultimately, this legal service is why the "legitimate" business isn't providing the exact same service as scavengers, though I agree with you it is less efficient at waste removal.
buran77 6y ago
Some of the legitimate contracts do get handed out based on political favors or bribes. This being said those contracts ensure some legal obligations for the service provider. Everything from providing the recycling bins, to providing service to everyone equally, to providing service consistently. And the recyclables are usually picked up by the same company pickling up the garbage. With that income gone they'd just jack up the prices for the garbage, which I assure you won't be picked up by any scavenger. You don't want your garbage or recyclables to stay on the street corner for days because the scavengers don't provide any bins, there's no money in garbage pickup, and your recyclables are too small game for them to go out of their way to pick them up. As a city you also don't want to realize one day that they just moved on to even more profitable business elsewhere while heaps of trash are popping up around town. As with anything, if it's important you want more than just best effort by someone who's anyway just piggy backing on someone else's groundwork.