Questions About Trash Pick-Up

To the Editor:
I read with interest the article titled “Recyclables and Trash Doesn’t Mix” in the March 4 Herald because I had the same experience as Ken Hamann, the man who questioned why his recycling was dumped in a trash truck.
Having witnessed the aftermath of our trash truck taking trash and recycling twice and calling it in to the company, I was ready at my front door to pounce, should the trash guy make a wrong move. He did, I pounced, and we wrestled over my recycling, which spilled.
He offered to pick it all up, I assisted him, and when I asked him why he was dumping them in with trash, he told me that high winds knock over recycling cans. I told him the can was sturdy and stood up to the wind all night; why dump (waste) them now?
I called this in again to the trash company and was again told by a concerned woman that she would notify a supervisor. I gave my number the last time I heard bottles and cans going in the trash truck up the street but I did not get a call.
I had already told Wildwood Public Works what was going on, so this time I left a message with Mayor Troiano, whose department is Public Works. He called a few days later to tell me he was not pleased to hear my report and he would be in touch with the trash company. He also said this would be a black mark on their resume for upcoming bidding on the city’s trash contract.
I was glad to get his call and I haven’t seen the offense since. By the way, no one works harder than the crew of two I see on the trucks. The trash crew is one collector and a driver who climbs down for each stop. And in this winter it’s been extra hard for sure.
It seemed to me that the trash guys could have been helping their recycling buddies as they dumped only about half the block’s recycling into the trash truck. There had to be a reason, and I hate to think it came from above. I am aware some people put out bad recycling, mixed up with trash, and that is another matter that should be left to cities to inspect and tag to change behavior. The recycling I saw taken were at homes, including mine, that were done right.
Aside from the effort some people put into recycling, like Mr. Hamann, there is the plain fact that what is tossed into trash trucks is money when it is glass, aluminum, cardboard, plastic and paper. I can understand how the results of this practice were not noticed at the landfill, as I find it hard to believe that each and every truck is monitored as it tips its load, and one figures that the trucks can compress and conceal their contents.
I don’t know if I am correct here, but this is for certain: the behavior and performance of the trash company and their employees, the cities and their inspectors, and townspeople and landlords have to change for the better.