Trash Cans Pile Up as New Orleans Attempts to Switch Bins

It all started about two months ago,” said Betina Brockamp, who has been organizing her neighborhood in an effort to get the trash (cans) picked up. “We came home to the neighborhood and there was an abundance of trash cans – brand new trash cans just sitting in front of our houses.

“There were so many cans there were flies everywhere, it started to stink and smell bad and people couldn’t walk down the street. It was a lot of trash cans.”

Brockamp explained that after weeks of cans crowding their neighborhood she went door to door asking neighbors to bring their old cans to the neutral ground where they would wait for someone from the city to pick them up.

“Shortly after, there was a parade of the entire neighborhood driving their trash cans down Royal street to the neutral ground on Esplanade,” said Brockamp. “It was funny and beautiful all at the same time to see everyone coming together.”

Over 100 cans were eventually picked up in Brockamp’s neighborhood but residents say they’re fed up that the old trash cans have been on the curb for weeks. They say they’re becoming even more of an issue. Even the simple act of walking your dog becomes dodging trash cans.