Editorial

In Cape, a week of turning trash to treasure

Starting today and ending Friday, the city of Cape Girardeau provides one of the best services for its residents all year: Spring Cleanup.

To give an idea of the magnitude of this weeklong project, city crews hauled away more than 970 tons of trash during last year's cleanup, or 854 tons more than in an average week of trash collection. The haul included nearly 800 tons of refuse, 89 tons of discarded appliances and 88 tons of brush, limbs and yard waste.

The city workers will pick up almost anything with the exception of hazardous materials such as tires, batteries, motor oil, automobile parts, pesticides or oil-based paint, because those are restricted by state law.

Otherwise, they'll carry off whatever it would take two men to load in 10 minutes, which the city calls "a reasonable amount of refuse."

So while it may be irritating to see a neighbor's broken-down couch sitting by the curb for up to five days, it's heartening to know the city cares this much about helping residents keep their homes neat and clean.

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