Trash update of sorts

Our trash is picked up in front of our house once every two weeks.  Yes.  One time every two weeks. 

But, technically, we don't pay anything for it.  There was no assessment for "trash pickup".  However, the official grey trash bags weren't cheap so, in essence, we did "pay" for trash pickup in the form of expensive trash bags.  

We, and by we I mean Jim, realized this was ingenious since trash pickup costs each person however much they wanted to pay for trash bags (about $2 each) and they hold about 10 gallons. We can usually fill up 3 trash bags so trash pick up costs us $6 every two weeks.

Now there's a change coming. In February, we've been instructed to go to a central location and pick up our allotment of official bordeaux trash bags for the year.  That's the color name they've been given - bordeaux. We are entitled to 20 bordeaux bags.  That's right.  Twenty bags for the year.  I'm not very good at math, but I think that's about 3/4 of a bag each time the trash truck comes by our house.

Recycling is a really big deal here and we try to do our part, but some things I just can't do.  For example, under every sink in Belgium - I swear I think it's standard issue - is a small plastic can.  This is where we are supposed to put all the leftover food, coffee grounds and paper napkins - basically anything biodegradable.  

Coming from the South, that is defined as roach bait so I can't bring myself to do it.  There aren't any roaches here, but still.  Plus it's also only picked up once every two weeks!  That's just gross.  So all our leftovers and coffee grounds go in the grey, now named bordeaux, bag.

We will also be assessed about $75 a year for trash pickup now that we get those 20 free bordeaux bags.  Fortunately the grocery store also sells the bordeaux bag for about $2 each so for us, it'll be business as usual.  It'll just cost a bit more.

Changing the subject slightly . . .

Perhaps you remember a post on my blog recently about this guy . . .

who, over a 2 year period, collected these treasures, also known as trash to his neighbors.

He was urged to clean it up, but he said he didn't see anything wrong with it and furthermore, it was his hobby to tinker with this stuff.

Turns out he had to go before the criminal court last week and was fined 9000 euro and has 6 months to clean it up.  If he once again thinks his trash is a treasure, after the 6 month clean-up window, he will get to pay 150 euro a day in fines.

I figure he'll decide it's not worth that much. I also figure it's gonna to take a helluva lot of bordeaux bags.