They are for now “lid lifters,” compliance officers whose job is to make sure the citizens of the city of San Diego are sorting their refuse correctly. The local Fox affiliate says they “are conducting checks on trash bins across the city to prevent fires caused by combustible waste, following a rise in trash truck fires.” It’s their job to “ensure that residents are properly sorting their waste, with combustible materials like batteries and propane tanks being a particular focus.”
While it seems obvious that propane tanks don’t belong in the residential garbage stream, we do live in a society in which manufacturers have to affix warning labels on hair dryers that tell consumers they shouldn’t use the electrical appliance while in the bathtub or shower, and on strollers to remind parents that it’s bad idea to fold one up while the baby is still in it.
But slippery slopes exist, and there’s always a camel trying to get its nose under the tent.
Inspectors are checking green bins to make sure they’re filled with organic waste “without plastic bags,” and that “recyclables are in blue bins, and trash remains in trash bins,” says Fox News 5, KUSI. Their duties are intended to fulfill the provisions of Senate Bill 1383 from 2016, which aims to reduce the amount of organic waste sent to state landfills by 75% over 2014 levels by 2025.
For now, the crew members will check each residence once a year. But what if the team grows and they become more intrusive, digging deeper into the bins and fining those who violate the law? Several media outlets are reporting that the team will number 12, with the San Diego Union-Tribune noting that the “city is devoting 12 inspectors to the effort — six teams of two” which will “typically work from 6 a.m. to just after 8 a.m.”
They will earn from roughly $63,000 a year to nearly $77,000. City documents show that “code compliance officers 1356” enforce “violations, false load declarations, and improper disposal of waste in accordance with Miramar Landfill regulations.” The city salary table shows a range of monthly incomes from $5,307 to $6,395 for code compliance officers 1356.
Former Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey has doubts about their value. They don’t dig deeply into the bins, he says, so “contraband” can still be hiding just below the surface. If they do find misplaced refuse, no fines will be levied but an “oops” tag will be stuck on the offending bins.
If the purpose is to educate, then there are “definitely better and cheaper ways to accomplish that,” says Bailey.
And they might not be necessary at all. A number of media outlets, including the trade publication Waste Today, have pointed out that organic waste collection has increased in recent years. “Green bin tonnage increased from 142,297 tons in 2023,” says Waste Today, “to 194,310 in 2024.” Bailey notes that the trend began “before ‘lid lifters’ even started.”
“So, most San Diegans are already making a good faith effort to do their part, making this multi-million-dollar program another questionable use of taxpayer funds,” said Bailey.
Also subject to question is the value of separating trash. Why not send it all directly to landfills? There is plenty of space available, most of what is supposed to be recycled ends up in landfills and incinerators anyway, and even though California has missed its targets for reducing organic waste deposits in landfills, no environmental emergency has emerged.
California continues to abandon sensible policymaking in favor of trendy and emotionally fulfilling policy decisions that have no benefits yet inflict needless consequences. The lid lifters are one more example of ideology and intransigence devouring sound judgment.
Kerry Jackson is the William Clement Fellow in California Reform at the Pacific Research Institute.
