# What happens to your garbage?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 23, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806 "2011-08-23T18:24:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/1 "2011-08-23T18:24:11Z")
Pick the one that is most appropriate.
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### Author:  [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/2 "2011-08-23T18:47:14Z")
Other - I put it at a spot on public property (city sidewalk) and a city contractor comes and picks it up and takes it away. We get twice a week garbage pick up (Tues/Fri 8pm), and once a week recycling pickup (Mon, 7am).
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### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/3 "2011-08-23T19:51:58Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#):
>
> Other - I put it at a spot on public property (city sidewalk) and a city contractor comes and picks it up and takes it away. We get twice a week garbage pick up (Tues/Fri 8pm), and once a week recycling pickup (Mon, 7am).
I suppose I should have picked “other” as well. I wasn’t thinking but the little strip of grass on the other side of the walkway is city property, although they don’t mow the lawn now do they!? hmmm…
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/4 "2011-08-23T19:57:02Z")
I have minions.
Actually I bring it down to the laundry room. Minutes later, it’s gone. I suspect it’s gabage faeries.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/5 "2011-08-23T19:57:27Z")
“Other”.
I have a dumpster at my business that rarely gets totally filled. So every two or three days I bring our home garbage to work with me and put it in the dumpster.
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### Author:  [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/6 "2011-08-23T20:22:51Z")
I drop it at the dump on the way to work. Well I suppose it’s actually a tranfer station, it goes on from there in municipal watse trucks.
I paid for the service for years before I found out how easy it was. If it wasn’t right on the way to work I might go back to that.
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### Author:  [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/7 "2011-08-23T20:24:15Z")
My apartment complex has a “trash house” out in the back parking lot where I take garbage and recycling. The county picks up the recycling and the Dumpster guys get the garbage.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/8 "2011-08-23T20:27:35Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> “Other”.
>
> I have a dumpster at my business that rarely gets totally filled. So every two or three days I bring our home garbage to work with me and put it in the dumpster.
I would have counted that as “I put my garbage in with somebody else’s garbage and then let them handle it.”
This was, incidentally, the way I used to get rid of my garbage. About once a week, I’d take a bag of garbage to work with me and throw it in a dumpster. Since I’ve retired, I now pay for garbage pick-up.
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### Author:  [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/9 "2011-08-23T20:31:20Z")
I put it on the curb once a week for the city garbage truck.
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### Author:  [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/10 "2011-08-23T20:33:38Z")
I voted “I put my garbage in with somebody else’s garbage and then let them handle it.” because that’s what I do–our apartment complex has common dumpsters/recycling bins.
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### Author:  [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/11 "2011-08-23T20:40:55Z")
Some garbage goes down the Insinkerator to the big lake. The rest goes to the dumpster with the trash/rubbish.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/12 "2011-08-23T20:52:44Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> I would have counted that as “I put my garbage in with somebody else’s garbage and then let them handle it.”
>
> This was, incidentally, the way I used to get rid of my garbage. About once a week, I’d take a bag of garbage to work with me and throw it in a dumpster. Since I’ve retired, I now pay for garbage pick-up.
But it isn’t someone elses, it’s mine!
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### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/13 "2011-08-23T21:06:22Z")
[dodging stones]
My water/sewage/trash bill is about $23/month. I take my trash out every Tuesday night, and Wednesday morning about 6 am a truck comes by picks it up. Two big cans is the limit. On Fridays I can call for special pickup to pickup large items. It costs a $1 per item. (Furniture, appliances, plumbing fixtures, etc) Yard waste is also picked up Fridays. Yard waste is free.
[/dodging stones]
yes I know I have a bargain. But living alone, I never use more than the minimum of water.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/14 "2011-08-23T21:12:24Z")
Amusingly, today is trash day.
Actually, biweekly trash+recycling day.
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### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/15 "2011-08-23T21:15:30Z")
We don’t get anytype of pick up service, so I take it to the transfer station. It’s not that bad of a deal.
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### Author:  [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/16 "2011-08-23T21:48:31Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#):
>
> Other - I put it at a spot on public property (city sidewalk) and a city contractor comes and picks it up and takes it away. We get twice a week garbage pick up (Tues/Fri 8pm), and once a week recycling pickup (Mon, 7am).
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#):
>
> I suppose I should have picked “other” as well. I wasn’t thinking but the little strip of grass on the other side of the walkway is city property, although they don’t mow the lawn now do they!? hmmm…
I assumed this situation was included in _I leave it at a spot on my property and somebody picks it up takes it away._, even though it isn’t technically my property.
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### Author:  [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/17 "2011-08-23T22:02:31Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#):
>
> I assumed this situation was included in _I leave it at a spot on my property and somebody picks it up takes it away._, even though it isn’t technically my property.
Because most people are unclear about property lines and sidewalk/utility easements. And under normal circumstances, there’s no reason for them not to be.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/18 "2011-08-23T22:04:57Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#):
>
> I assumed this situation was included in _I leave it at a spot on my property and somebody picks it up takes it away._, even though it isn’t technically my property.
Yes, the original choices were going to be “I take my garbage to the dump” and “Somebody picks up my garbage” but I expanded the options. It appears I wasn’t clear enough.
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### Author:  [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/19 "2011-08-23T22:21:41Z")
When at home I take it to the dump. It is an actual land so that is where it stays.
Currently I am living on an island in the Aleutians. I put it in a conex trailer where the captain of the landing craft picks it up and boats it to the fish processing ant where it is incinerated
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### Author:  [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-your-garbage/593806/20 "2011-08-23T22:28:23Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#):
>
> I suppose I should have picked “other” as well. I wasn’t thinking but the little strip of grass on the other side of the walkway is city property, although they don’t mow the lawn now do they!? hmmm…
Ah, but I don’t even have that. I live in a walkup with a wide sidewalk in front of it that is immediately next to a 5 lane (3 driving, 2 parking) road. The city maintains everything from the bottom of the steps on, even the little patches of dirt/grass around the trees, though some of our hippy neighbours plant flowers for fun.
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