To the editor:

I'm writing about Barrington's switch from manual curbside pickup to the new automated cart system with Mega Disposal. While fiscal responsibility is a noble goal, I want to share how this change looks from the curb of a large family's home.

In past years, our waste management crew came right to the house, removed whatever we set out, and did it with a smile. I actually got to know many of them. It was a small, human touch to an otherwise unglamorous chore and it worked reliably no matter how much a given week's trash piled up.

You didn't have to think about trash day. There was no measuring, no cramming, no calling to arrange bulky item pick up, and no worrying about whether the lid would close. You just put it out and it disappeared. For a town that prides itself on quality of life, that kind of ease matters. It was one of the quiet perks of Barrington life, and I fear we took it for granted.

Now, everything has to fit inside carts, lid closed, or it doesn't get taken. For many households, the new bins may be plenty (or too much). But for mine, and many of my neighbors, with several kids and all that comes with a full house, they simply are not. You can shame me for generating too much trash, but, quite simply, we are doing the best that we can. I know I'm not the only one... I recently spoke with a friend that has resorted to bringing his excess trash to work.  

We had a system that worked well for years and that added a genuine bit of neighborliness and ease to daily life, and have replaced it, shifting the burden onto residents who now have to plan, compress, and sometimes make extra trips to the recycling center just to keep up.

It wasn’t broke, but we sure fixed it. And now we spend a bit more of our time and thought on our garbage, instead of with our families and neighbors enjoying all that life in Barrington has to offer.

I'd ask the Town Council to look at options that don't leave larger households scrambling to play trash Tetris. Perhaps a second cart available at a reasonable, or no added cost for families who need it. 

At the end of the day, it's clear that one size does NOT fit all. Some households have too little trash for their bin, others too much, and the old system was just right.

Ralph Coutant

Barrington