Columbia city government is taking additional steps toward finally solving a problem of its own making. After rescinding the city’s absurd ban—yes, it really was a ban—on trash roll carts (The horror! A roll cart!) the council is now considering getting rid of the equally ridiculous requirement that residents only use city-approved trash bags with a city logo on them. Requiring the logo prevents you from simply buying trash bags when at the store like everyone else in America does. (Yes, I get that certain stores sold the special bags, but I mean, you know, any store. We’re talking trash bags here, not Rembrandts.)
If Columbia gets rid of the special logo-only trash bag rule (I can’t believe I just typed that phrase), Columbia will be well prepared to do an amazing thing: to collect trash just like most other cities in Missouri do, by having people put the roll cart out on the street once a week and go pick the trash up. It really is that simple. Recycling rules, weight limits on bags, and special days and fees for more/oversized trash can still apply, but watching Columbia make an overly complex mess of its trash system has been painful the past few years. Sure, it’s been a bountiful topic for think-tank pundits like me and radio talk show hosts, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for everyone.
Once it adopts roll carts, Columbia can take the next logical step and contract out the entire trash service to the private sector, just like many other cities already do. Then I can finally stop talking about this issue. (But I probably won’t; I like it too much.)
