AMERICANS in a US city will be slapped with $15 fines if their garbage can lids aren’t securely fastened during pickup under a new law change.

Locals have been left outraged as the strict new requirements threaten to skip houses entirely if they don’t comply.

The City of Valdosta, Georgia, roughly 90 minutes from Tallahassee, is charging the $15 fine whenever a second trip is needed for collection.

It’s part of a sweeping law upping surveillance of homeowners, with trash crews getting tablets to keep track of how many cans are at each address.

Legislators say the new policy and equipment are designed to keep routes moving efficiently across the city and make the system more consistent.

“If you have your 96-gallon can filled and you have four or five bags outside of that can, we’re going to encourage you to get an additional can,” said Public Works Director Larry Ogden to local ABC affiliate WTXL.

But some residents whose trash has already been left uncollected under the change argue the crackdown wastes more resources than it saves.

“If the trash is in the can, even if the lid does not close […] it is a waste of resources because you could have picked it up the first time instead of sending another truck back,” said local Melinee Calhoun to WTXL.

Calhoun also expressed concerns over how both the fees and new collection policy will impact families that are already struggling in low-income areas.

“When I think about my community – low-income communities – this creates an undue financial burden.

City officials like Larry Ogden say locals will simply need to buy another can if they can’t fit all their trash in one city-issued bin and close the lid

“Plus, it’s hot as hell. Leaving trash on the curb stinks up the whole neighborhood.”

Officials say leaving out trash that isn’t able to fit into a city-issued can, which are the only ones being collected under the new policy, should push them to get a second receptacle.

“We want to encourage the citizens to go ahead and sign up for an additional can to meet the needs for that particular house,” said Ogden.

Additional cans cost an extra $8 a month each in addition to the monthly $25.74 collection fee.

Ogden did not immediately return The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.

Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/16656092/new-garbage-can-lid-collection-fines-fees-valdosta-georgia/