For roughly the past 35 days Toronto has not had regular trash service due to a strike from union workers who normally pick up residential waste. The strike was due to some benefits that the union workers wanted to keep but the city was hoping for concessions from the union.
The strike resulted in a lot of garbage that piled up in city streets and parks, which were used as temporary dump sites during the strike. Residents often had to wait in long lines just to dispose of a bag of trash at these temporary sites. Residents were encouraged to hold on to their garbage, if possible, until the strike was over. In addition, dozens of summer camps were canceled and many area pools were closed as a a result of the strike.
It is hard to believe that garbage could cause such a disruption in normal life and how much garbage can accumulate in a relatively short period of time. Toronto's garbage pile-up is a visible reminder that garbage is a continual dilemma that society has to deal with on a regular basis.
Think of the garbage that you generate and what would you do with it if garbage was accumulating on the steps of your house? Hopefully, recycling would come to mind if you had to figure out what to do with your own garbage, even if your city is not involved with a garbage strike!
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