With their trash collection reduced to every other week, Portland households have had to hone their recycling skills or pay more for bigger garbage cans, which are provided by the network of private haulers who pick up the trash for the city of 583, 000.

WSJ: Portland Creates Buzz by Cutting Garbage Pickups

After years of personal and economic struggles, she eventually set up a recycling system where families could bring their garbage to be her for recycling, in exchange for food at the local grocery store.

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