The Further Degredation and Plastification of Hudson, America, The Earth and Our Sidewalks

 

When I first visited Hudson in the early aughts, one of the first sights that impressed me most were the public trash receptacles lining Warren Street and some side streets.  They were unique, attractive, the visible parts were completely made of wood, well maintained, and they seemed to fit the character of the historic funky old town that I knew nothing about.  These were no run-of-the-mill sidewalk trash receptacles ordered from a catalog.  Someone, probably a group of people, with a sense of style, class, design and the common good had obviously given some consideration to them, possibly long ago.  But what I didn't know then that I know now is that Rob Perry was not the Hudson DPW Superintendent (nor council president) at the time I first had the pleasure of gazing upon Hudson's public trash receptacles, and that he likely had no involvement in the decision to choose the wood receptacles.  For the past several years it has been my sense that Mr. Perry doesn't care what our trash receptacles look or feel like or what materials they are made of, nor does he seem to care what other people think our trash cans should or will look like.  As of a few days ago when I noticed a DPW crew on Warren Street installing a trash receptacle made mostly of plastic, my hunch became a certainty.  He doesn't care one bit.  

I have twice listened* to Rob Perry's two most recent informal council meeting DPW reports but did not hear him once mention that the slats on our public trash can receptacles would no longer be made of wood. One wonders if he himself made the decision to move away from wood to plastic, and if so, why he did. Was it for budgetary reasons? Aesthetic reasons? Is plastic just easier to find and work with than wood? Does Rob just prefer the look and feel of plastic?

Except for the poorly situated hinge sticking out waiting to grab
 skin and/or cloth, there can be no more 
attractive public trash receptacle than this.  Period!  It is
the model of function, form and class, and as they once were
not too long ago, all of our receptacles should look like this. Period!
Why mess with perfection?  This one should have protected status!

Were the people of Hudson demanding our receptacle slats be made of plastic rather than good old-fashioned, natural, earth-friendly wood, a material that is considered by most to be easy on the eyes, pleasant to the touch, has stood the test of time, is easy to maintain and does not accumulate in the human body?  Is our DPW Superintendent blind to the ecological and human health issues (not to mention the ugliness) of the ubiquity of plastic in all its forms? Most importantly, did our DPW Superintendent run his idea by Rich Volo of the Conservation Advisory Council to get his approval of replacing the wood slats with plastic ones?  Do you think the CAC cares what material our public trash receptacle slats are made of?  At the behest of Rob Perry and mayor Johnson, will the CAC soon be encouraging homeowners to plant easily replaceable plastic sidewalk trees?  (Did you notice that the holiday tree in the 7th Street Park is real this year, a reversal of last year's embarrassment and insult?)

Does a DPW Superintendent making over $117,000 a year need to inform the Common Council and the public of a somewhat big shift like this in our very public sphere?  Though it's likely not a requirement to do so, you would think that Mr. Perry would have given some sort of heads up to the council and the public.  Perhaps something as simple, helpful and respectful as this:  

"I have decided that it is in the city's best interest to do away with the wood slats on our public trash receptacles in favor of plastic ones for the following reasons... 

Considering that the slats around the receptacles have only ever been made of wood, I thought it only fair that I would run this by the council before moving forward with my idea. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns or comments before I order the plastic slats, which will cost the city X dollars. I have included a picture of the plastic slat that I think is appropriate for downtown Hudson.  Please notice that this slat is longer than our current slats are, and that it is a very light-colored plastic compared to our present dark colored wood slats. If anyone, including residents, has a problem with our public trash receptacles up and down Warren Street, in our public parks and elsewhere now being surrounded by light-colored plastic, please speak up now. I will be glad to address your concerns."

Wood is no longer good (enough). 
(this one has a metal lid.)

"Yes, Mr. Perry, I have a few concerns and questions.  First, when the plastic slats become damaged, stained or are in need of general maintenance (as they will be), what, if anything, can DPW do about them?  You can't sand away blemishes or damage on plastic, can you?  You can't protect plastic with varnish and make it look shiny and new, can you?  Will you paint them every winter?  How long do you expect the slats to last before they must be taken to a landfill?  How long do the wooden slats typically last before they must be discarded?  Did you do any research on the viability of plastic slats and how well they hold up over time?

Also, I am concerned that the light color of the new plastic slats will be a huge invite for graffiti artist or anyone with a paint pen.  Aren't the dark wood slats less apt to be tagged?  In fact, isn't it the case that hardly any wooden slats, if any, are currently tagged? 

Are plastic lids next on your list? 

Finally, what will your approach be when you become aware of the first graffiti to appear on the new plastic slats?  How long do you allow graffiti to remain on the slats and lids of our public trash cans and other public infrastructure?  Can you just paint over graffiti without removing the slats to the DPW garage?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Mr. Perry, I do have one last question.  Do you feel, on a personal level, that the world (and Hudson) needs more plastic or less plastic?  Do see any issues, particularly environmental issues, with plastic anything?"

Instead, we get nothing but silence. 

Plastic, so fantastic!  It looks clean now,
but for how long and at what cost?

A few years ago, DPW began replacing the classy-looking and easily maintainable wooden lids on the trash receptacles with black metal lids. Many of those lids are now just plain ugly, bent out of shape and, of course, filled with graffiti, stickers and stains. I don't remember Rob Perry, our Great Communicator on Zoom, ever informing the council and the public BEFORE those original wooden lids were replaced with metal that he was planning on doing so.

One wonders if Perry even informs his boss, the mayor, of changes like these, BEFORE HE GOES AHEAD AND DOES IT SEEMINGLY ON HIS OWN!

The removable cans inside the public trash receptacles are made of plastic.  Now it's only a matter of time before the lids on our public trash cans will be made of plastic, too!   And why wouldn't they be?  Plastic is the perfect choice for all our needs, especially when it comes to collecting garbage, because PLASTIC LASTS FOREVER, EVEN IN THE HUMAN BODY!

Soon to be PLASTIC?

I would love to talk with the person or persons who came up with the original choice for our wood receptacles to see how they feel about things now.

* Perry still does not show up to informal council meetings and he still does not even offer his own face on a screen for the council or the public to gaze upon and "communicate" with him.  All we get is a somewhat muffled voice from who-knows-where.  While I am well aware of what Mr. Perry looks like, what I'm really curious about is what his living room looks like.