Health & Environment

Blogger Follows the North End Trash Trail

Posted on Author Matt ContiComments(4)

The North End’s Adam Balsam stirs up the trash issue by photographing a trail of violations in how folks are putting out their garbage. Adam reports:

“I took a picture of every bag/box/large piece of trash I saw … 100% non-compliance. Every one of the properties with trash out at 8PM between Commercial CT (where I live) and Shop MFI (on Lower Salem) was in violation of the Green Ticket Bill and are subject to fines between $25 and $40.” (Update: Original blog post no longer active.)

Adam mentions this previous trash violation post and asks why we have these trash ordinances if there is no enforcement.

Salem St. Trash (Photo: M Conti)

WBZ-TV picked up on Adam’s story with their video report featuring him along with Aaron Michlewitz who discusses the recently passed Green Ticket law that is intended to increase compliance.

Of course, anyone that has attended the monthly NEWRA Clean Streets Committee meetings knows the problem is not so easy to solve. There also is a lot of confusion in the neighborhood on the specifics of the ordinances. For example, CVS-style bags are not allowed, but what about the white kitchen bags?

All the attention on the issue may have sparked some enforcement, at least in the short-term. According to this thread on the NEWMA parents Google Group, Inspectional Services was seen giving out green tickets this week.

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4 Replies to “Blogger Follows the North End Trash Trail”

  1. I also posted this comment on Adam’s blog.

    The bag type looks to be the most common problem. Is this because the bag type isn’t available for a standard kitchen waste basket size?

  2. Type of bag or color of bag is the least of our issues regarding trash in the north end. Let’s start with all trash should be in a sealed bag only put out after 5pm. Too many violators to document to start picking on those who put out trash after 5pm in alternative sealed trash bags.

  3. I agree with both of you. The bag type is a "problem" but only in the academic sense. Yeah, the law states 2-ply non-white bags, but the real problem is the fact that people violate the "after 5:00 PM" rule, put trash out on the wrong day or do not put their trash in a sealed/tied bag. Have a look at the corner of Salem and Bartlett Place (next to New Spin laundry) on any trash day morning before pick up and see what an ungodly mess is there. This is without question the worse area in the North End that I have seen on a very regular basis. Sorry for the rant, but thanks for reading….. 🙂

  4. I’m a member of the Clean Streets group and we need more proactive people to come to the meetings. Even if you can’t make it to a meeting you can help by calling the Mayor’s Hotline -617.635.4500 – and report violations (loose trash, trash out too early or on the wrong day).
    You also need to give them the address of the violation so Code Enforcement can check IN
    the bag an write a ticket. Code Enforcement doesn’t just roam around the City looking for violations they need to be called about the problems. We ALL need to pitch in if anything is going to change.
    If we all "patrol" our corners of the neighborhood we can make a huge problem more manageable.
    If you don’t feel like doing the "dirty" work you can help by spreading the word to your friends or neighbors in your building. NEWRA Clean Streets hopefully will have a new Tips Sheet ready to go
    by the next meeting, on March 16, with all the rules, days and times for trash disposal. Stay tuned…

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