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Letter: A suggestion for the neighborhood trash pickup program — from a dedicated scavenger

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Rhonda Kitchen who has been driving garbage and recycling trucks for the Wasatch Front Waste & Recycling District for the past 17 years, was selected as 2017 "Driver of the Year" in the category of small government operations.

I am very sad to hear that Salt Lake City is ending its neighborhood trash pickup program. Over the past 20 years or more, I have scavenged those piles for usable furniture, bikes, doors, chairs, tables, paving stones and much else. Often, a little gluing, screwing, patching or painting was all that was needed to bring the discarded item back to life.

It is obvious the city has put some study into this change. It has solicited the input of homeowners throughout the city and expanded the list of things for removal. I hope officials have not ignored the many subtle forms of recycling. Stop in any Deseret Industries outlet and you will see numerous people engaged in this work. Or check out The Clever Octopus store on State Street in Murray, where two ex-teachers collect and recycle all kinds of usable stuff.

Here’s a suggestion. When someone schedules a pickup, determine what size truck will be needed to haul it away. Train the driver to recognize the difference between junk and possibly recyclable stuff. Bring the latter material to a central location, and leave it there for scavengers like me to go through.

Ray Wilmot, Salt Lake City