Just like many metropolitan areas throughout the United States, San Francisco’s early history of garbage collection is a tale fraught with irresponsible disposal management and environmental degradation. 

In order to keep our communities and neighborhoods clean, San Franciscan’s long-ago approved rules which provide dependable and efficient refuse and recycling services that include a successful model for a worker-owned industry.

The result is that San Francisco’s citizens and neighborhood businesses have grown and prospered in partnership with sanitary services employing women and men who are also members of our community. 

From time to time, a neighbor may forget to place a garbage receptacle out for pick up.  Likewise, public officials often forget that their “closed-door” actions have detrimental effects on working women and men who perform the most essential of services; community waste collection. Community and Neighbors- C.A.N. is a worker's campaign created to promote and defend women and men employed in the waste and recycling industry.

Worker-ownership has provided the model of quick and efficient waste and recycling collection that is now the envy of much of the United States.   

Support the women and men fighting to maintain a clean community. They want it clean because they live here too!