The City of San Diego and Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s office have formally responded to a Grand Jury report detailing complaints of broken garbage bins in San Diego.
According to the city, the trash bins are not breaking because of the collection trucks; they’re breaking because the bins only have a 10-year useful life span.
Here’s how you can tell if your trash bin is beyond its 10-year useful life span.
•If the bin has a number that starts with a "03", "09" or "06", the 10-year warranty has expired. If the bin is damaged, it is your responsibility to purchase a replacement.
•If the number starts with "T92" or "T64”, your bin's warranty could have expired.
To find out the exact age of your trash bin, you can call the city Department of Environmental Services at (858)694-7000, or email the department at trash@sandiego.gov.
The replacement trash bins used to be free, but in 2008 the city amended the municipal code citing declining tax revenue.
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The city pays $53.22 for each new bin and charges residents $70 for a replacement bin. City officials insist the city does not profit from the sales and said the money goes to cover overhead costs. For an additional $25 dollars, the bins can be delivered.
Damaged trash bins less than 10-years old are considered to be pro-rated.
Note: Green and blue bins used for landscape and recycling can be replaced free of charge.
