Cost of Collection
The cost of collection is vitally affected by so many different factors and by local conditions that any attempt to compare the economy of the system in one city with that in another will generally be unsatisfactory. Also actual cost data are kept by very few cities, and where they are available the methods of determining them often vary so that they are misleading for comparative purposes. The cost depends upon the cost of loading and the cost of hauling, as described in the discussion of ash collection. Such facts about the cost as are available in printed reports and as have been sent to the New York State Bureau of Municipal Information by the cities will be found in the accompanying table.
An investigation by the Ohio State Board of Health in Ohio cities showed that the cost averaged from $2 to $2.75 per ton. The report says that the cost of collection in Cleveland for several years averaged $2.17 to $2.79 per ton; Dayton, $2.11; Zanesville, $2.13. In the smaller cities where hauls are comparatively short, the cost frequently did not exceed $1.50 per ton, and “on the average with proper routing should not exceed $2.00 per ton.”
The cost of the collection and disposal may be met by a draft on the general fund, by assessment upon property benefited, or by assessment upon the people directly served. The particular method selected will be determined by the legal limitations, the difficulty of collection, tax limitations, and so forth.
Per Capita Production
Experts have agreed within fifty pounds as to the per capita garbage output of a community. W. F. Morse, Sanitary Expert, gave one hundred and ninety pounds per capita per year as approximate figures for an estimate. William N. Venable estimated the annual amount per capita to be from 150 to 200 pounds.
Recent reports from six cities which have complete collection systems show considerable variation in the per capita amount collected. These cities report as follows:
| Lbs. of Garbage per Capita | |
|---|---|
| Columbus | 203⅓ |
| Grand Rapids | 97 |
| Buffalo | 80 |
| Worcester | 127 |
| Rochester | 260 |
| Cleveland | 162 |
The average weight of garbage per cubic yard according to statistics from nine large American cities has been from 1,100 to 1,475 pounds, and the number of pounds per one thousand of population per day from 331 to 875.
The food conservation campaign throughout the nation since our entry into the world-wide war, however, has created havoc with garbage production figures and estimates. Although it was known for many years that the American housewife has been a most notorious profligate in the waste of food, it was not until the war forced upon America the necessity for food conservation that there was any decrease in the contents of the garbage pail. Remarkable changes have been reported by cities, the following reductions by New York State cities being typical: