Dive Brief:
- Palm Desert, CA resident Corine Trischitta has video that she says shows her apartment complex's recycling getting dumped with the trash. It's state law for apartment complexes to make sure the trash and recyclables are sorted.
- The dumpster has two sides, one for recycling and one for trash, with locking lids. Trischitta said she noticed several times that both lids flapped open when the trash truck picked up the dumpster and unloaded its contents.
- Burrtec said when drivers pick up trash, they lock the recycling side. But sometimes drivers leave the trash flap unlocked to make it easier for senior residents; so when the recycling truck dumps its load, both flaps are open. But Trischitta insists that's not what she's seeing. "I rarely see a second truck come by," she said.
Dive Insight:
After the sixth time, Trischitta started recording her trash pickups and called News Channel 3 and CBS Local 2.
Burrtec was unavailable for an on-camera interview, but said there is a period of less than an hour when both sides of the dumpsters are left open.
"I'd like them to do their job," said Trischitta. "I'd like them to recycle. We're recycling, we are doing our part; they need to do their part."
