This week’s analysis of two different waste working systems was very interesting in revealing common challenges the job entails, but also unveils stark contrasts between methods and opens up new possibilities for analyzing existing systems that may have seemed conceptually farfetched in prior times. For example, the mere concept of being able to haul waste on bicycles was not something I thought possible from a physics perspective. This creates intrigue in the field, for what other possibilities may be ‘hidden’, either unthought of or previously thought impossible, that hasn’t been enacted yet because there hasn’t been someone who’s seen an opportunity for it yet. Another difference I think is interesting, and reveals more truths about potential solutions, are the hierarchal vs. worker-owner systems that were analyzed. I think a lot of people doing labor and working, in general, want to feel something meaningful behind their jobs; more worker-owner systems may allow people who find that they want to be more operationally involved more appealing than traditional work structures.
I would be so curious to see what NYC waste haulers think about the peddle people system and give their opinions on different aspects of the job compared to the ones they own now. Perhaps people in different positions or who are earning certain wages have differing opinions. Likewise, I think if the average person knew about these two different systems, there would be more inspiration to start other regional ‘sister’ companies, or generally inspire organizations that do something similar.