Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Houston's Biodegradable Leaf Bags Suck

In April the city of Houston started forcing residents to use biodegradable bags for lawn debris. We were told that this was for our own good, as it would help the city avoid fee increases and thus save citizens money. When citizens complained about the bags, the city responded that the bags were fine. The city is wrong on both counts.

The bags are more expensive and hold less. But I have no choice in the matter. Only one size is available. I must use the city-approved bags or build a compost pile so large that I will surely receive a visit from the health department. 

The bags have a conical bottom, which makes no practical sense and significantly reduces the amount the bags can hold. The tops consist of some stupid butterfly design that match the bottoms in their impracticality. But again, I have no choice in the matter. I must use these stupid bags if I want the city to haul away my yard debris.

I can normally fill 4 or 5 bags when I clean my roof. The process takes about an hour. I attempted to do this over the weekend with the city's new eco-bags, and after 30 minutes of struggling to fill 2 bags and clearing about 10% of my roof, I gave up. I'm not certain what I'm going to do, but it is clear that it will take much longer than it has in the past. Of course, the fact that I must waste hours on this project is for my own good, not to mention the good of the planet.

Just to be clear, I'm as "environmentally friendly" as the next guy. I think that human beings should exploit the hell out of the environment, but I think that we should be friendly to one another as we do so. And that friendliness consists of respecting property rights and engaging in voluntary trade. I think that a society in which individual rights are recognized and protected is the only environment proper to human beings, and it is the only environment in which individuals can truly be benevolent and friendly.

In such a society landfills would be privately owned and trash collection would be provided entirely by private companies. I would be free to accept the terms of the trash collection company--including the use of "eco-bags"--or not. That of course, is not the kind of society that we live in.

Instead, my own judgment is rendered moot by the dictates of petty politicians who want to pander to the ecology crowd. My choices are simply wiped out by the stroke of a pen, while I am told that it is for my own good. The arrogance of those who make such claims is superseded only by willingness to use force to impose their values on me and all of Houston. And that, just like the biodegradable leaf bags, sucks.

7 comments:

Shiner said...

Please allow me to offer one word of advice to you concerning your dilemma regarding the disposal of leaves - MULCH! For the cost of all of those damn bags you will undoubtedly use over a year's time, you could easily afford a simple little mulching machine. Heck, you and your neighbors could even go in together to buy one, mulch all of your leaves, and wind-up with some great material to augment your flowerbeds.

Just sayin...!

Brian Phillips said...

Shiner--
As much as I appreciate the advice, I think it misses my point. The city is forcing me to act contrary to my own judgment and it has no moral right to do so.

I don't want to use mulched leaves on my beds. I am already composting as much as I reasonably can, so that option is out. Placing mulched leaves on my beds will result in a nitrogen deficiency--decaying organic material takes nitrogen from the soil. So your suggestion would create additional problems for me, which would require more time and expense to correct.

Mr. Moderate said...

While I agree that the bags are stupid, there's nothing stopping you from hiring your own trash service to remove your garbage and yard waste.

If everyone had to contract their own trash service, we would see a massive increase in trash piles as some property owners quit paying for removal, freeing up cash for beer. Better to have the City do it out of property taxes, ensuring that trash gets removed.

Brian Phillips said...

Mr. Moderate--
Yes, I could hire a private company. But I am already paying for this service. Why should I pay twice?

In a proper society--one in which property rights were recognized and protected--property owners could not create health hazards for their neighbors by tossing their trash in the yard. Such actions pose an objective threat to the health and safety of others.

AMAI said...

I love this paragraph:

"Just to be clear, I'm as "environmentally friendly" as the next guy. I think that human beings should exploit the hell out of the environment, but I think that we should be friendly to one another as we do so. And that friendliness consists of respecting property rights and engaging in voluntary trade. I think that a society in which individual rights are recognized and protected is the only environment proper to human beings, and it is the only environment in which individuals can truly be benevolent and friendly."

On the issue of nitrogen - I had not thought about that before but will be checking the soil with my test kit. I usually throw a bunch of maple leaves on the garden beds in the fall, and take them off in spring. So far the plants have all done well.

As for impracticality of the City bags, we in Toronto have been put thru the ringer with the ever-changing demands regarding garden waste. First we could whatever we wanted which of course won't do. So next the approved bags were specially marked, clear/see-thru, so that it was possible to identify the waste as garden debris. Then those were deemed ecologically unsound, because emptying plastic bags at the garbage depot was too much effort. So next they demanded we use paper bags, specially marked and specially on sale at hardware stores. These are a bit too ecologically sound, as they tend to rot too quickly and leave a bloody mess when garbagemen attempt to remove them from the sidewalk (the bottom falls out.)

I am in agreement about privatization of the whole thing. I know that one day the entire concept of tax will be abolished, because it is evil, irrational, counter-productive and unworkable. Finally we will see real progress in all areas of human life again instead of this massive waste of time & effort currently being foisted on us "for our own good."

Brian Phillips said...

AMAI--
Your story about lawn bags in Toronto seems par for the course. Issue a mandate to achieve some "noble" purpose, and when that doesn't work, issue a new mandate to correct the problems from the first.

Anonymous said...

Brian
I support everything you say about the bags. I have written to the mayor and City council about the expense and inferior quality . As to the persons four letter word -MULCH- he evidently lives on a large farm. I am frustated with this solid waste program. Today I had leaves in cardboard boxes and they refused to take them. Try putting thorny leaves and posion ivy in the bags Mayor