Beachcombing

Happy day after Halloween and congratulations to the L.A. Dodgers on their World Series win.

The Long Beach Public Works Department has begun replacing the purple recycling containers citywide with blue ones. They are also adding a new, green container for food scraps and yard trimmings. Despite the English/Spanish doorknob hangers attached to the new containers, many residents are confused over what goes into what bin.

For example, a small tree branch may qualify as yard trimmings and go in the green bin, but a small 2x4 piece of scrap construction wood should go in the gray trash bin. Empty tin cans may qualify for the blue recycle bins, but larger metallic items – like a garage door spring – should go in the gray trash bin.

Logically, a cardboard pizza box qualifies for the blue recycle bin, but should be placed in the green bins, along with any food-soiled napkins and paper towels. The object here is to have the food-soiled items absorb the liquid food waste.

Bluff Heights resident Mark, on Nextdoor, said “I christened my new green can with a big tub-worth of nasty old lentil pasta and eggplant stew that went bad. It made a nice splat when I dumped it. I give it about a week before it stinks so bad I’ll have to call the city to come replace the can.”

Blame it all on Senate Bill 1383, which sets a statewide target to reduce organic material from landfills by 75% and therefore reducing methane emissions from landfills. Long Beach’s Organics Collection Program aligns with state requirements and uplifts local sustainability efforts to reduce waste and improve recycling in Long Beach.

As stated in the Sept. 20 edition of the Beachcomber, “Residents located in phase one service areas will receive a new green cart during the week of Oct. 14, specifically for collecting yard trimmings and food scraps. Additionally, new blue carts will be introduced for recycling, while purple carts will be retired from service and properly recycled. These changes are part of the city’s effort to comply with SB 1383’s requirement for standardized cart colors across the state.”

Putting food waste in the green carts reminds me of the 1950s, when we had weekly garbage collection by a city truck with an unpleasant aroma. To avoid that stink in your kitchen, you can request a free, small, green-lidded toter from the Public Works Department or purchase them at Home Depot or online via Amazon. Some online models resemble cookie jars.

Too bad Public Works doesn’t offer a trash container for the political TV ads that have been pummeling us for the past several weeks. Thankfully the TV remote has a mute button to block that constant, endless, misleading, false, hateful, disgusting, obnoxious, offensive garbage coming from those clowns.

Uncommon sense from some of those same clowns:

If a man pretends to be a woman, you are required to pretend with him.

Somehow it’s un-American for the census to count how many Americans are in America.

Russians influencing our elections are bad, but illegals voting in our elections are good.

Twenty is too young to drink a beer, but 18 is old enough to vote.

People who have never owned slaves should pay slavery reparations to people who have never been slaves.

People who have never been to college should pay the debts of college students who took out huge loans for their degrees.

$5 billion for border security is too expensive, but trillions for “free” health care is not.

If you cheat to get into college you go to prison, but if you cheat to get into the country you go to college for free.

We are living in an upside down world where right is wrong and wrong is right. We need our country back. Please vote accordingly on Nov. 5.

publisher@beachcomber.news