Top 24+ Things Your Garbage Collector Wants You to Know

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Getting hit by passenger cars when we’re stopped. At least nine states have laws requiring drivers to go slower than the posted speed limit when driving by a stopped garbage truck. This man created a museum dedicated to garbage. It might make you rethink what you throw out.

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You can also make the life of a garbage collector safer by wrapping your broken glass 
in newspaper first, to spare us bloody hands. And think twice before throwing out any chemicals. We’ve witnessed entire trucks go up in flames after chance chemical reactions 
in the back, often thanks to a farmer who dumped toxic pesticides.

Yes, there are garbage women

They make up only a tiny percentage of our ranks. We think that’s probably because there just aren’t many women excited about the smell, the maggots, and the other not-so-pleasant aspects of being a garbage collector.

We get unexpected bonuses

Some of us have even found 
cash in the trash. Earlier this year, a garbage collector in Augusta, Georgia, pulled $8,500 out of a can! (He returned it to the can’s owner.)

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We’ve clashed with rats, raccoons, and other critters, but squirrels have become the real monsters of the garbage. A squirrel can bite right through the plastic of your bin; then, when we lift the lid, it flies out of there like a bat out of Hades.

Think about where you park on pickup day

Our biggest pet peeve: people who park in front of their containers. If we’re driving a one-person truck with an automated arm, we have to get out and move your bin, so your pickup takes twice as long.

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Every route is budgeted a certain number of hours for completion; if we come in over that, our bosses question us to make sure we’re not just angling for overtime. There are also cameras and GPS in some of the trucks so garbage collectors can be monitored at all times.

We can help if you forget to put the trash out

We know sometimes it can be tough to get your cans out early. If you miss the pickup, give us a call and we may be able to swing back and get it. Some towns have a “complaint truck” that does a late run to grab anything that’s left.

We are always watching for homeless people

Sometimes, when my truck lifts up a dumpster, I’ll hear yelling and banging—and a homeless person will pop up out of there. When it’s cold or wet outside, they see the bins as a nice warm place to get out of the rain.

Don’t blame us if you find trash splayed across your lawn

That usually means that your roll cart was facing the wrong way. Our automated arm can still pick it up, but when we dump your garbage into the truck, some of it stacks on the underside of the open lid. Then, when we put the can down, the lid is like a catapult and it shoots trash everywhere. (Look for arrows on your cart showing which side should face the street.)

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We like being out and about and physically active instead of stuck in an office. We like taking care of people, and serving the public. And hey, we’ve have great job security: this is one job that can’t be outsourced overseas!

We accept tips

You give a tip to your mailman and newspaper carrier… why not the trash collector? Official policies on tips vary, but most of garbage collectors will accept them. Some folks tape an envelope to their bins. Or you can leave a note that says “Ring the bell. We have a tip for you.’”

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On occasion, our trucks actually catch on fire. It’s typically because a farmer dumped in some kind of highly toxic pesticide. When a fire starts, we have to drive around trying to find to a safe spot to dump. You don’t want to be the one who loses a $250,000 garbage truck.

We're not all streamlined

Many of today’s garbage-collecting machines are efficient, high-tech affairs with GPS, air-conditioning and a mechanical arm to pick up your wheeled cart. But you will still find traditional, rear-loader trucks with men hanging off the back in most big cities, because we haven’t figured out how to streamline service in those areas.

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You better believe it. Especially on a hot day when the trash is filled with maggots and rodents. You wear gloves, try not to breathe too deep and get it done as fast as you can.

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