Big Brother In Your Garbage Cans? New Totes Have RFID Chips to Monitor Recycling

Last April 17, the Niagara Falls City Council approved Mayor Paul A. Dyster's proposal to buy some 45,000 refuse and recycling totes from Cascade Cart Solutions of Grand Rapids, Mich., for $2,124,449, the low bidder for the contract. Casino funds were used for this purchase. The wheeled, blue 64-gallon refuse carts cost $42.78 each and green, 96-gallon recycling carts cost $50.96 each. The price included delivery.  Included also in the over-all price was $19,389 for 10 year software licensing and a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip embedded in each tote.