My neighbour’s blue bin is always full of Styrofoam and plastic bags

Dear Urban Decoder: My neighbour’s blue bin is always full of Styrofoam and plastic bags. Can a person be penalized for this?—Jessica Nathanson, Leaside

Eco-interventionist urges can be satisfied by placing a callto the city’s waste enforcement unit, where complaints are lodged anonymously so as to prevent neighbourhood skirmishes. Following a tipoff, the WEU will send an officer to the reported address on pickup day, and if a blue bin inspection reveals rogue unrecyclables, a warning will be issued in person. If said wrist slap doesn’t strike the fear of Elizabeth May into the offender, he or she can be hit with a $360 ticket following a second infraction. As well, garbage collectors have been known to take the law into their own hands by tossing inappropriate items onto the lawns of the guilty. Think of it as a scarlet letter for enviro-scofflaws.

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