In the bags of illegally dumped garbage, Ramses Alvarez’s team has just found a lead: a name with an address.
Like much of America, San Francisco is littered with trash. Alvarez oversees the city’s public works workers, who act as “litter detectives,” sifting through the mountains of trash, block by block and bag by bag. They look for evidence linking the trash to their trash.
The purpose of the program It’s not just about cleaning up, it’s about holding violators accountable. Fines for violators can be as high as $1,000.
“This is happening 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There are still illegal dumps in the city,” Alvarez said. “It’s not acceptable to use the city as a dumping ground.”
According to the 2020 Keep American Beautiful National Study, an estimated 50 billion pieces of trash are dumped on U.S. roads and waterways. That’s about 150 pieces of trash for every person living in the country.
“A polluted environment sends a powerful message that is not pleasant or enjoyable psychologically, socially, or physically,” said Dr. David Spiegel, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University.
Spiegel claims that the destruction of America breeds social isolation, which is linked to depression.
San Francisco alone produces 5,000 tons of trash a day. Recology, one of the city’s waste management companies, collects and sorts most of that waste into three categories: landfill, recycling, and compost, which is sold to fertilize nearby farms.
But 18,000 tons of waste end up being dumped on the city’s streets each year, according to municipal authorities.
In Joffrey Simpson’s neighborhood, trash is commonplace. It’s one of 30 hot spots in his neighborhood. Simpson says he doesn’t know who does it, but it’s a constant nuisance.
In a 2024 LawnStarter survey of America’s dirtiest cities, New York City’s “living conditions” were ranked the worst, followed by San Francisco and Jersey City.
In San Francisco, many people dump their trash illegally to avoid the trash collection fees paid by most homeowners and renters.
Recology employee Robert Reed believes everyone should do their part.
“We all produce waste. We all have a personal responsibility to take care of it and put it in the right place,” Reed said.
Back on the street, Alvarez and his crew come across a pile of trash with no leads. Whoever owns it will get away with it, “until next time,” an employee says.
And the next time might come very soon.
Marc Strassmann
