Use less, pay less

If the most recent increase proceeds, environmentally conscious customers who use the smallest, 20-gallon containers will be seeing a 41% increase in garbage rates. But customers with the large containers will see no increase whatsoever.

It is not aligned with the city’s climate change and sustainability goals to be burdening the most responsible customers (i.e., those who send the least to landfill) with the entire cost increase.

The city’s argument is that they need to align fees with the actual cost of delivering the service, and there is a high fixed cost to have a truck drive by regardless of the amount of trash picked up and sent to landfill.

There has to be a better solution and this just doesn’t seem right. Customers are charged for water and electricity based on usage tiers. So people who use more pay disproportionately more, which makes sense. It is akin to an environmental impact fee.

The same should apply to garbage. If someone has a high carbon footprint and sends a lot to a landfill, they should pay disproportionately more (not less).

I have written to Redwood City Council and filed a protest with these thoughts and hope other residents do the same. Their email is council@redwoodcity.org.

Chris Robell

Redwood City