The recent situation on Mathewson Road in Barrington, where some folks have been hanging bags of dog feces on a utility pole, spurred a brief discussion about the town possibly bringing back public trash cans. 

"What if the town provided some trash receptacles?" wrote resident Evelyn Blum in a recent letter to the editor. "There is a cost attached for purchase and maintenance, but this would definitely improve the quality of life for everyone." 

But bringing back public trash cans can create other problems, said Barrington DPW Assistant Superintendent John Renquinha. He said the public trash cans were often used by people dumping their own household trash or large items, like mattresses and appliances.

"People were grossly abusing it," said Mr. Renquinha.

He added that wild animals would often get into the trash, ripping apart bags and scattering refuse all over the parks, playgrounds and beaches. 

It even got to the point where some people would dump their trash bags at the gates of the DPW facility on Upland Way.

"We would be loaded with trash," he said. 

Mr. Renquinha said the trash-in, trash-out policy is good for the town and has been adopted in many other communities. 

"It keeps things in check," he said. 

Even with the policy, the town public works employees occasionally come across trash bags left in parks and in public spaces. Mr. Renquinha said someone recently tied up a bag of household trash to a pier piling at Walker Farm.