3 ms·

How? Anyone can dump batteries in anyone’s curbside bin. Also in apartment complexes bins contain everyone’s refuse.

by mc32 4y ago

JumpCrisscross 4y ago
> in apartment complexes bins contain everyone’s refuse This is a solved problem. Sanitation fines the building. Building deals with the problem internally.
- Wowfunhappy 4y ago
  I'm not actually clear how the building would deal with the problem either! Everyone's trash goes down one garbage chute. I'm not sure exactly how many units are in my building, but some quick math makes me think it's well over 100.
  - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
    > not actually clear how the building would deal with the problem either Every New Yorker is familiar with buildings putting up signs admonishing residents for not properly separating their recycling. If it's a recurring problem, the super will inspect it before putting it out. The bigger issue is we don’t have an easy way to detect batteries in trash before they’ve taken out a truck. So this discussion is largely hypothetical.
- mc32 4y ago
  That’s problematic. The ash and rubbish containers are often accessible from the street. Now they would fine a complex because it has insufficient surveillance? I don’t think there is an easy solution to this other than requiring battery mfgs to make safer batteries and consumer education.
  - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
    > they would fine a complex because it has insufficient surveillance This is the status quo with trash and recycling in New York [1]. It looks like there is already a schedule for rechargeable battery disposal. [1] https://www.nyc.gov/html/ecb/downloads/pdf/SanitationPenaltySchedule.pdf https://www.nyc.gov/html/ecb/downloads/pdf/SanitationPenalty...
    - mc32 4y ago
      I can see where half of those fines are rarely enforced. I don't see this as having viable enforcement. I think the main solutions are educational (make it easy to properly dispose batteries) and making the batteries safer.
      - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
        > can see where half of those fines are rarely enforced The efficient amount of enforcement is difficult to estimate. For recycling, at least, it works well enough. I imagine jacking up fines and increasing spot enforcement should be enough to motivate upstream behavior in the buildings, e.g. posting signs or deploying a separate bin.

How? Anyone can dump batteries in anyone’s curbside bin. Also in apartment complexes bins contain everyone’s refuse.

by mc32 4y ago

How? Anyone can dump batteries in anyone’s curbside bin. Also in apartment complexes bins contain everyone’s refuse.

> in apartment complexes bins contain everyone’s refuse This is a solved problem. Sanitation fines the building. Building deals with the problem internally.

Wowfunhappy 4y ago
I'm not actually clear how the building would deal with the problem either! Everyone's trash goes down one garbage chute. I'm not sure exactly how many units are in my building, but some quick math makes me think it's well over 100.
- JumpCrisscross 4y ago
  > not actually clear how the building would deal with the problem either Every New Yorker is familiar with buildings putting up signs admonishing residents for not properly separating their recycling. If it's a recurring problem, the super will inspect it before putting it out. The bigger issue is we don’t have an easy way to detect batteries in trash before they’ve taken out a truck. So this discussion is largely hypothetical.
mc32 4y ago
That’s problematic. The ash and rubbish containers are often accessible from the street. Now they would fine a complex because it has insufficient surveillance? I don’t think there is an easy solution to this other than requiring battery mfgs to make safer batteries and consumer education.
- JumpCrisscross 4y ago
  > they would fine a complex because it has insufficient surveillance This is the status quo with trash and recycling in New York [1]. It looks like there is already a schedule for rechargeable battery disposal. [1] https://www.nyc.gov/html/ecb/downloads/pdf/SanitationPenaltySchedule.pdf https://www.nyc.gov/html/ecb/downloads/pdf/SanitationPenalty...
  - mc32 4y ago
    I can see where half of those fines are rarely enforced. I don't see this as having viable enforcement. I think the main solutions are educational (make it easy to properly dispose batteries) and making the batteries safer.
    - JumpCrisscross 4y ago
      > can see where half of those fines are rarely enforced The efficient amount of enforcement is difficult to estimate. For recycling, at least, it works well enough. I imagine jacking up fines and increasing spot enforcement should be enough to motivate upstream behavior in the buildings, e.g. posting signs or deploying a separate bin.