Q. Our 96-gallon trash cart from the city is taking a beating — its cover hinge is busted, large cracks appear on the back, and one wheel is busted — none of which was caused by us. All we do is fill it up, push it to the curb, and back when emptied. When our old metal cans got damaged from regular handling by city crews, we had to buy new ones ourselves. How do we go about getting a new cart and do we have to pay?

A. The city will repair or replace carts for O'ahu residents, said refuse collection administrator David Shiraishi. Call the refuse collection yard nearest you to tell them about the damage, he said. The numbers are listed in the phone book under the City Department of Environmental Services.

Shiraishi said the carts are under warranty and residents don't pay for repairs.

"The city will replace those carts in some cases. In some cases only the wheels need to be replaced or only the hinge," he said.

Q. I'd like to know the city rule about people leaving debris on front sidewalks, like old mattresses, frames, junk toys, iceboxes. I live in Manoa and it seems like some of the stuff has been there for six or eight weeks. Shouldn't they be cited for that?

A. City recycling coordinator Suzanne Jones said she's surprised to hear that items have been left curbside for so long because the city provides regular monthly bulky item pickup. She asks residents to put out large items the day before those pick-ups. She suggests you call the environmental concern line at 692-5656 to report the items and get information about bulky items and other issues.

"We do come through every month to pick things up," Jones said. "The rules are that householders should be placing their items at the curb no earlier than the day before your scheduled pick-up."

Other information can be found at www.opala.org.

Q. I see people putting their safety stickers between the letters and numbers in the middle of their license plate. Is that legal?

A. No, said Honolulu assistant licensing administrator David Mau. State law requires the stickers be placed as close to the right rear of the vehicle as possible and the inspectors who issue the stickers "should know better," he said. The only thing that should be placed on the plate is the sticker showing the expiration date of the registration.

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Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.