Dive Brief:

• The total amount of unpaid trash collection bills has grown to almost $2.5 million in Erie, Pennsylvania.
• The City Council is working on a solution and would like the unpaid bills to be a top priority for the council to attack in 2014.
• At this time, a lien is the only consequence to having an outstanding waste bills. 

Dive Insight:

According to GoErie.com, the mayor says the city's options are limited, with a lien placed on properties as the only recourse the city is able to implement at this time. Sinnott said, "Ultimately the lien is the mechanism we have right now… until the law changes, that's what we have to deal with." 

Many municipalities are facing massive unpaid trash bills. The city of Scranton, Pennsylvania turned to public shaming as a solution to collect $7.8 million in trash fees owed to the city. Officials in Erie are considering solutions such as hiring a collection agency or combining trash payments into the yearly tax bills of property owners. Currently, the city is working on creating a searchable database on its website, which will include a list of delinquent customers.