Lots of garbage in Seattle? Fix it with a ‘free’ sign, Curley says

Reports of illegal dumping have skyrocketed since the City of Seattle released an app that allows users to easily target trash in the city.

Among the functions of the Find It, Fix It app is it allows people to report dumping on public property. So, of course, reports of trash around the city is way up.

There have been 8,200 reports of dumped garbage this year, The Seattle Times reports. That’s more than 70 percent higher than 2014.

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Reports of dumping are up thanks to a handy app? Imagine that, KIRO Radio’s John Curley said.

Tom Tangney: Seattle thinks of itself as being so green, so ahead of the rest of the country in terms of the rest of the country.

The city picked up 1.9 million pounds of trash from public property, Tom explained. That number has spiked with use of the app, which has also increased the wait time for trash to be picked up. The Times reports the average wait time is now 20 days.

Curley wondered who would actually use their phone for a garbage app. Someone who lives across from a pile of trash, Tom explained.

John Curley: If you want to dump something…

TT: Take it to the dump.

JC: Or, take it, drag it a little ways from your house and put a handwritten sign that says “free.” There you go. You’re not dumping it, you’re leaving it there because it is free. Just make sure the sign is still on there.

That may not be the best course of action based on what Seattle Public Utilities has found over the past year. The Times reports workers picked up containers with urine, lots of diapers, a cow head and even a hand grenade.

JC: Free everybody! Free!