The Freakonomics team post about some of the unintended consequences of waste disposal policies.
Well-meaning policies can often have unintended consequences: trash taxes, for example, have been associated with backyard burning of trash in Ireland, trash dumped in the woods (in Virginia), and rat-infested sewers in Germany (thanks to flushed trash). Now, a family in Sharon Township, Ohio (where residents are charged for their trash), left behind a big mess when they moved out of their home. “When I opened the garage door, there was a year’s worth of garbage stacked in the garage, and on top of that garbage was a rat that looked like a small cat to me,” said a neighbor.
Waste management issues are an important part of Roosevelt’s curriculum, including SUST 210 The Sustainable Future (taught at Roosevelt University’s downtown campus this fall) and SUST 240 Waste (taught online next spring). For more information on these or any other of our courses, call 1-877-277-5978 (1-877-APPLY RU) or email applyRU@roosevelt.edu.
