4 ms·
I can't stand stuff like that. There's no way the actual negative externality of a small bag of trash is $2. If I lived in a place with a ridiculous rule like t
by centimeter 6y ago
I can't stand stuff like that. There's no way the actual negative externality of a small bag of trash is $2. If I lived in a place with a ridiculous rule like that, I would be more inclined to protest the rule by dumping illegally than going along with it.
Trash disposal here is great; free unlimited household trash disposal if you drive it to a dump, with only larger things like tires and mattresses costing money (but a very reasonable amount, like $2/tire).
- huhtenberg 6y agoSwiss trash bag fees pay for garbage collection and improvements to the recycling infrastructure. They aren't meant to offset the damage to the Earth or some abstract puffery like that.
- blt 6y agoPaying by the bag is good. In the USA, if you live in a detached house there's normally a fixed price to get a large barrel collected weekly. The barrel is large enough to hold a week's trash from a family of four who puts no effort into reducing trash output. If you live alone and are conscious about generating trash, you get ripped off.
- sonotmyname 6y ago> In the USA Hold up.. This not only varies by state, but by county and city. Some places have this built in to special assessments on property taxes, some contract with a trash company that collects fees directly, and some are a bit of a free for all with multiple trash companies providing pickup and or/dumpster service (this is more common in rural areas). I had a place up in the mountains where we had to buy special $6 trash bags and haul it to a central dumpster ourselves, and there are those in large cities who have to deal with mob-run collection companies who bribe local politicians for monopoly rights. TLDR; To generalize "In the USA" for something like this is impossible.
- blt 6y agoTrue, I should have said "in places I have lived in the USA".
- satellite2 6y agoThey open non taxed bag looking for letters with your name on it and send you a fine if they find it.
- deleted 6y ago[deleted]
- ska 6y agoIf you want every negative externality to be precisely captured by a fee, you will be paying fees all day long. One approach is to capture a number of related issues in one fee at a natural point of contact that is easy to measure. It's not a crazy idea.
- VLM 6y agoIts the strange intersection of conspicuous consumption and virtue signaling. Only we are good enough people and wealthy enough to pay a bizarre tax.