GARBAGE WARS

The garbage cans in Los Angeles are owned and maintained by private companies, funded and used by residents, and controlled by the men and women who scavenge for recyclables and divide the bins amongst themselves. Similar to how street gangs carve up neighborhoods, specific bins in specific locations (driveways, alleys, etc.) belong to specific people. Since this marketplace lies beyond the reach of the legal system, disputes are often settled with violence, a form of self-regulation in many parts of the informal economy.