At first glance, the photos are gross.
Bag after plastic bag lie next to the Parker Harding Plaza trash compactor. Most are full. Some spill their contents — food, papers, garbage — onto the pavement.
Reaction is swift: What’s wrong with the Westport Downtown Association (or the town itself)? How can they let that happen?
As is often the case, this is not a black-and-white (trash bag) story. There’s more to it than meets the eye (and nose).
A large reason for the mess lies with a few merchants. Every WDA member who pays to use the refuse service gets a key to the compactor — and instructions on how to use it.
But not every employee follows the rules. Hauling trash from a store or restaurant to the compactor is not a pleasant task. For whatever reason, some don’t open the bins. They just leave the bags next to it.
That has a predictable effect. The next employee — perhaps well-intentioned — sees trash next to the compactor. He or she assumes it is full. Why check? They just leave their bags too.
There is a second predictable effect. All it takes is for one bird or varmint to get into the trash. That’s their nature — especially if it’s not sealed tightly.
Their critter friends quickly gather. They finish dinner, then leave without cleaning up.
Ninety percent of the time when trash piles up, the compactor is only 1/4 full, says WDA president Maxx Crowley.
That’s not only unsightly and smelly — it’s costly. The refuse company charges more whenever they have to pick up the bags (and more) by hand.
(Photo/Sal Liccione)
To stem the abuse, the Downtown Association will soon begin going through trash dumped outside. They’ll determine who the offender is, and fine them.
Repeat offenders will be reported to the Aspetuck Health District. They want to keep downtown clean too.
Merchants are not the only offenders. Residents sometimes use the compactors as their own personal trash cans.
They may not realize the compactors are private. They may know, but not care. Perhaps the transfer station is closed. Perhaps it’s open, but they don’t want to drive there.
Whatever the reason, Westporters (and, probably, out-of-towners) have no problem dumping trash bags — and bicycles, furniture and more — next to the bins.
A Westport Downtown Association contractor cleans up some of the large pieces of trash left by the compactor.
The WDA does not want to be the trash mafia, Crowley notes.
Their goal is to “create a beautiful downtown environment,” the president says.
At their own expense, they put out and water flower baskets in warm months, blow leaves in the fall, and wrap downtown with holiday decor and trees in winter.
The WDA has teamed up with Employment Is For Everyone — the collaboration between the town and its Commission on People with Disabilities — to create an ambassador program that helps keep downtown clean and welcoming.
“Our team will continue to do everything we can to keep the trash area clean,” Crowley says. “We hope everyone will work with us, to help.”