Garbage in the City: the three problems that generate the most complaints among residents

The garbage in the streets worries the residents of some neighborhoods of the City.

With an

the fact that waste remains outside the containers at times has to do with different factors.

In a tour,

surveyed testimonies about what happens at different points and in different time slots.

And there are at least three problems that are the ones that

They have to do with the accumulation of bags that are taken out after hours in the containers, the smell generated by the garbage when it is scattered and also tourist areas or high commercial traffic, which are great generators and do not always comply with regulations. 

Gloria goes to work every morning from her house in Once and for her it is frequent to find garbage on the sidewalks, or with

and even

plastic bags walking through the streets without anyone grabbing them.

He says that part of the problem in his neighborhood has to do with the blocks in the Once shopping area.

Where, in addition to hundreds of shops, there are street vendors and vendors of all kinds of merchandise.

He explains that a lot of garbage is generated there that later falls into the drains.

Remains of waste in Pueyrredón and Bartolomé Mitre, in Once.

Photo Lucia Merle

"Everything they eat is thrown on the floor, the trays, the bags from which they take the clothes they sell,

. There all the drains are covered with the bags, they generate a lot of plastic. And in that quadrant the smell of pee is tremendous, especially next to the containers," adds the neighbor.

It refers to a phenomenon that occurs in places with a high concentration of people, since there are many who,

a lack of the City that adds up to decades, urinate in the street. 

"Where I am, an enormous amount of garbage accumulates. What worries us the most is the issue of odors, because it really decomposes. And in these

we are also afraid of

. A this is added to the proliferation of rats and cockroaches," says Nahuel, a resident of Balvanera.

"Basically it is living among the garbage and not being able to circulate, because directly under the bridge, when you arrive at Rivadavia, you cannot pass, and the smell is unbearable. And absolutely no one is taking care of that," he expands.

Ecuador at 300. More garbage outside the containers.

Photo Lucia Merle

"The schedule for

Taking out the garbage is

when there is no collection.

If the garbage is taken out outside of these hours, it is more likely that it will accumulate.

also added that, due to the high level of poverty, many people go through the city and open the bags to check the garbage, and that is only resolved when the collection is done," explains Pedro Comin Villanueva, Undersecretary of Urban Hygiene of

the City government.

"There are more than 30,000 containers.

and that the container is empty throughout the day. They are very used to having to take out one or five bags at seven o'clock in the morning or at seven in the evening it is the same, and that must be rethought", he maintains.

The waste that remains outside the containers is a source of bad odor.

Photo Lucia Merle

The City is divided into zones in which different private companies are in charge of collection and hygiene.

Thus, zone 1 (Comuna 1) is in charge of AESA (Aseo y Ecología SA);

zone 2 (Comuna 2,13 and 14) of CLIBA.

On the other hand, zone 3 (Comuna 11, 12 and 15) is owned by Solbayres;

Zone 4 (Comunas 9 and 10) is in charge of Nittida;

5 (Comuna 8) is regulated by the Urban Hygiene Entity;

6 (Comuna 5, 6 and 7) is under the control of Ashira Martín and Martín;

and finally, zone 7 (Comunas 3 and 4) is managed by UrBAsur.

Restaurants and tourism

Valeria lives in San Telmo and, for her, one of the most persistent problems in her neighborhood is linked to the large number of tourists who arrive, especially on

.

"You see a lot more garbage around the weekend, because the nightclubs or bars start throwing away their waste when they open their doors," she says. 

The neighbor explains that, especially on Sundays, the issue around garbage intensifies a lot and is noticeable in the streets near the San Telmo Fair: "Although they clean up, because we demand it a lot, in the cross streets an important dirt remains at the fair".

Dirt in Sarmiento at 3100. Photo Lucía Merle

In Puerto Madero, Viviana recounts a similar situation: "Here the bars take everything outside, there is even a floating bar and that creates dirt

. And there is much more garbage than there was when the bars were inside , because now people throw their garbage and it falls into the dikes, and that generates a lot of waste contamination in the neighborhood," describes the neighbor.

Then he adds: "They would not be complying with the regulations of hiring their own collection service, because the garbage is taken out from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and obviously they generate it at dawn. So, they have the obligation by law to hire their own service trash and not everyone does it.

Garbage dumped on the street in Godoy Cruz and Santa Fe, Palermo.

Photo Lucia Merle

are currently being implemented

: "We reviewed the criteria and realized that the problem of garbage and gastronomy intersect when there are many restaurants together," he says and adds: "What we did was define the gastronomic poles that are large generators of waste and, therefore, have to manage the contracting of a private company that is in charge of the collection. They cannot use the containers due to the hours of their activity, and I understand that the neighbors are tired of picking up the garbage that they generate". 

wastebaskets

Another conflicting factor for some residents are the wastebaskets that are hung from poles, especially in corners, but also in the middle of the block.

Overflowing basket in Santa Fe and Juan B. Justo.

Photo Lucia Merle

"They are not in good condition. In addition, there are cardboard and television wrappers on the street, for example. The baskets that are there are mailbox-type and are very small. People throw the garbage and half of it falls outside. You can see garbage that you couldn't see it before," says Paula, a resident of Palermo.

Many of the neighbors point out that some garbage cans are

or that the place to place them is little studied.

Others believe that on several occasions they are torn off and then thrown to the ground.

For this reason, there are neighborhoods in which

.

Beruti and Demaría, Palermo.

The planters end up working as garbage cans.

Photo Lucia Merle

"You don't only have wastebaskets on corners, but also in places with high traffic. In total, in the City we have a little more than

. Although it also happens that there is a very high rate of vandalism and the baskets

," says Comin Villanueva.

Regarding how the cleaning operation is, he explains: "The saturated baskets have to be emptied by the sweeper every morning, and in high-traffic areas it must be done every time they are filled. I do not think there is a lack of a place where throw away a piece of paper or a bag. But at the same time, if there isn't any, it's better to save what there is to throw away and look for another option on the next block."

A vandalized basket in Sarmiento at 3100. Photo Lucía Merle

Public toilets and smell of pee

For Viviana, the use of public space as a bathroom is a problem that has grown in recent years.

"There are no public toilets and this is closely associated with the hygiene of the places because they are encouraged, especially after the pandemic, to

. But then those people have to relieve themselves and have nowhere. So resorts to the street or in the trees".

"It's going back to 1850, and the City Government has insisted on not opening public toilets because it is not viable. The lack of public toilets contributes to the lack of hygiene," adds the woman.

Garbage in the City.

A reality that worries the neighbors more and more.

Ecuador at 200/300.

Photo Lucía Merle - FTP CLARIN LLM02348.JPG Z LMerle

In this regard, Comin Villanueva states: "I would tell you that if people relieve themselves in the street it is not because of a lack of public toilets but because of

. I don't know if the solution to the problem would be to put in public toilets. I think it has more to do with with the misuse of public space and how we take care of the common goods that belong to all of us".

Nahuel, the resident of Balvanera, points out that in order to improve the urban hygiene situation it is also necessary for the State to carry out awareness campaigns aimed at residents, since often the contamination of public spaces is part of a chain in which everyone can Help improve something.

MG

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