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The recently implemented WASTE COLLECTION SYSTEM of Porto Alegre has one serious problem that can and must be immediately corrected; otherwise, the desired results will not be achieved.

I cannot understand how such problem was not foreseen by the experts of DMLU. If they had taken a look at the system implemented in Caxias do Sul, they would not have incurred in the problem that we are already facing: as we do not have containers to dispose of recyclable waste (inadequately named NON-ORGANIC WASTE), we continue seeing black bags of litter spread on the sidewalks of the areas which should not present such problems. As far as I know, the waste collection department of Caxias do Sul offers not one container, but two: one for non-recyclable wastes and one for recyclable wastes. That is an intelligent solution.

What do we want to have? The answer is obvious: CLEAN STREETS AND CLEAN SIDEWALKS. How can we have clean streets and sidewalks with black bags of recyclable waste piled up in front of every building? It is just impossible. The beggars spread the contents all over the sidewalks.

A palliative solution would be to use the present small containers (does anybody know why DMLU – and the mayor – chose to have such small containers?) to dispose of recyclable waste, along with non-recyclable waste.

A definitive solution would be the adoption of the two-container system used in Caxias do Sul.

Take a look at the text below that I received from my friend Odacyr, regarding the waste collection system in Caxias do Sul:

Roberto
São 2 containers, o verde bem maior é para lixo não reciclável, e o amarelo, que serve para recicláveis.
Os incêndios aí ocorridos (em Porto Alegre) não nos surpreendem, pois aqui 369 (containers) já tiveram o mesmo fim, nos fins de semana, próximo aos postos de combustíveis - que invenção brasileira - toda essa gurizada em torno de um posto de combustível! Sem contar que neste frio, os containers têm servido de abrigo aos mendigos. Inclusive 2 (mendigos) já morreram esmagados pela maquina trituradora do caminhão que recolhe o lixo de madrugada.
Mas está funcionando, vejo a população já treinada e separando os 2 tipos de lixo.

It is unbelievable that after so many months of studies about this matter, the experts of DMLU have adopted an unsatisfactory system.

You also have to consider one additional point: the waste collection, in Porto Alegre, not only is not free, but it is also very expensive. Since Mayor Olivio Dutra’s tenure, the service of garbage collection plus IPTU, in Porto Alegre, has become more and more expensive every year and the streets and sidewalks have simultaneously become dirtier and dirtier.

Unfortunately, many residents of Porto Alegre do not pay attention to the percentage of money collected as IPTU, which is, in fact, a garbage fee (taxa de lixo). Even garages, which do not produce any garbage at all, have to pay the “garbage fee”. Is that fair? Absolutely not, but the fact that it is not fair does not exempt us from paying it.

E la nave va.

As nobody complains, we remain hostages of our politicians in all aspects of our lives. I can’t stop wondering when they will realize that they were elected to work for us and not the other way around.

Now take a look at the improperly denominated “non-organic waste” at Hoffmann Street on the corner with General Neto Street, (Floresta District – in front Henry’s) waiting for its collection by DMLU.

Picture # 1

The garbage was erroneously disposed at around 4 o’clock, yesterday, July 26, 2011 (a Tuesday – the correct day to dispose of it is on Wednesdays) and the picture was taken a few minutes ago, around 9 o’clock in the morning of July 27, 2011 (a Wednesday – the correct day for the disposing of “inorganic garbage”).

Two mistakes were made:

First: the janitor of the building disposed of the garbage on the wrong day. It should have been disposed of on Wednesday morning.
Second: at nine o clock of Wednesday, the “non-organic” waste collection truck had not collected the garbage of the building yet.

Picture #2

Consequence: we have the exact impression that we are living in a pigpen (pocilga).

By the way, the car you can see beside the tree and the man is in the exact spot where the car of the late secretary, Dr. Eliseu Santos, was parked when he was murdered a couple of years ago. He was shot beside his car.

Every month, 10 months per year, I pay R$ 92,73 to DMLU (picture #3) to collect my garbage and to keep my street clean. The picture above (#2) shows the kind of service I get. Can you see any trucks from the Waste Collection Department? I can’t. It is discouraging, isn’t it?

Picture #3 is a digitalization of my house IPTU. Pay attention to the item TAXA DE LIXO (waste collection fee). The amounts shown in the receipt must be multiplied by ten in order to reach the amount that I pay as IPTU per year. As you can see, it is not a small value.

Picture #3

As you can see in picture # 4, below, the above-mentioned building has a container for the wrongly denominated “organic waste” in front of its main entrance, but they are not allowed by DMLU to use the existing container to dispose of recyclable waste, according to what the janitor told me.

 
Picture #4

Due to the instructions of DMLU, as you can see in picture #4, the recyclable waste is not disposed of in the container in front of the building and the recyclable GARBAGE, WASTE, LITTER, RUBBISH, REFUSE, DETRITUS, SCRAPS, TRASH, LEFTOVERS and so on is disposed of in the back of the building, on Hoffmann Street, right in front of my house.

Request (pedido): if you have connections at DMLU, please, show them these pictures. Who knows? Maybe they will do something about this mess.
I, myself, doubt that they will do anything about it.

Now it is 3:25 PM of Wednesday. The truck of the Garbage Collection Department hasn’t shown up yet and the janitor of the building has cleaned all the garbage that remained uncollected for about 24 hours on the sidewalk of Hoffmann St.

Have a nice weekend and, if possible, send the link to this article to your City Councilman (vereador).

Roberto Henry Ebelt é professor, escritor, produz uma coluna semanal para o Jornal do Comércio de Porto Alegre deste 2001 e é diretor do curso HENRY'S BUSINESS ENGLISH desde 1971.

Seu mais recente livro, O QUE VOCÊ DEVE SABER ANTES DE ESTUDAR INGLÊS, pode ser encontrado nas livrarias Disal, Cultura e SBS ou à rua Hoffmann, 728 em Porto Alegre.

E-mail: roberto@henrys.com.br
Fone (51) 3222-3144
www.henrys.com.br