Dive Brief:

• The city of San Antonio, TX is eyeing a plan that will give waste collectors the opportunity to inspect residential trash bins and dole out fines to those who aren’t in compliance.
• The city is considering investing $130,000 in handheld devices that can track waste. Using the mobile units, workers will impose tickets on residents while collecting trash.
• These devices also allow employees to print out tickets at the location of the offense.

Dive Insight:

Under the proposal, potentially fineable infractions include disposing of trash in the wrong bin or putting materials deemed unacceptable in the bin for pickup. The City Council expects to vote on the issue next week. 

Seattle, WA is weighing a similar fine, levied against residents who don’t separate food waste and recyclable paper from the rest of the trash. In this case, charges will most likely total $1, and fees will simply be added onto the trash bill. The city sees the fine as a way to raise recycling rates throughout Seattle.