Where’s the Rest of the Story?

“L.A. city data shows requests to remove illegally dumped, bulky or electronic waste, as well as household appliances increased nearly 19% in the first seven months of 2020,” @abc7la reported on Aug. 19, 2020.

Why is that the end of the story, every time? Why won’t people pay to properly dispose of it? Why is proper disposal always framed as landfill? Why do we lack attachment to durable goods? We have a furniture waste crisis. How can we continue to feign surprise over this phenomenon? Who does this reductive narrative help? Who does it harm?

Illegal dumping is a symptom of much larger forces.

How do our systems— built on infinite consumption of low priced, low quality goods—encourage this behavior? What are we doing, as a society, as policy makers, as communities, as investors, as educators, as a furniture industry, to dissuade it?

This is likely happening in cities all over the country (maybe the world?), we deserve a nuanced examination beyond the worn out trope that illegal dumping is a one dimensional waste problem.

Photo taken in Oakland, CA of an illegally dumped chaise lounge, 100 feet from a growing homeless encampment, as the city is plundered by job losses, housing insecurity, poor air quality, and extended social isolation from covid.

Full article: https://abc7.com/illegal-dumping-item-removal-increase-311-data/6376179/