In the End, Garbage Is Garbage

I just realized that this reply I've written to a comment has lengthened into a decent article; I might as well post it as an entry of its own.

At 9:36 PM, Anonymous said…
alf,
pati basura nyo jan di kasing dumi ng basura namin dito ah. lol.
-c.

At 12:10 PM, eLf ideas said…
My Charlotte,
You can say that again. In comparison with the usual type of garbage there in the Philippines, the garbage here is relatively tidy. I believe, a few often unobserved factors have something to do with this:

1) Since the weather is very cold, leftover food in the garbage do not rot, thus, do not exude stink.

2) Because no much decomposition is occurring in the garbage, houseflies/maggots and rats are absent.

3) Since there is a limit of three plastic bags of garbage for each house, garbage do not accumulate on the streets; the garbage collector is able to observe efficiency and a predictable work schedule.

4) Lastly, because almost everyone in the neighborhood observes the rules, the sight of garbage cans becomes a tolerable part of every front lawn every Wednesday.

BUT
1) There are also neighborhoods here whose garbage can be seen scattered everywhere in the streets.

2) Walking in the quiet streets, I can still see candy wrappers and cigarette butts and packs, soft-drink cans and bottles and tetrapacks, as well as tattered newspapers and flyers scattered here and there.

3) There are notorious areas in downtown Vancouver, where bums abound and drug dependents shoot up drugs in broad daylight.

Bottomline
Like in the Philippines or in almost every country, in Canada there are lots of impressive sceneries as well as its share of filthy, obnoxious, and dangerous places.

In the end, discipline really emanates from the individual. Besides, alluding it to human spirit, garbage is garbage no matter how "tidy" it is.

aLf