Recycling: the future is here
The future of Oak Ridge recycling is now. Our new recycling carts have been delivered all over town, Waste Connections is collecting recyclables using a truck that is equipped to lift the carts and dump the contents into the truck, and the RecycleBank incentive program starts on Monday.
I’m hearing a lot of questions and comments about the new program. I don’t have answers to everything yet, but here are some questions and answers:
1. The cart is too big — we can’t possibly fill it in one week
Yes, the carts are big. Some households need a big cart, but many of us won’t. Before we approved the program, I asked about giving people the option of smaller carts. I learned that the lifting device on the truck has to grip the cart at a certain height, so a smaller cart would have to he the same height as the larger cart. That means it would be a skinnier cart, making it more susceptible to tipping over (for example, in the wind) and meaning that it would be harder to put bulky recyclables (like corrugated cardboard boxes into the cart. Also, there are logistical issues with giving different size carts to different households. As a result, everybody got the same size cart.
2. We have been putting plastic bags in our bins, but the label on the cart says they can’t be recycled. What’s up?
Ignore that part of the label. That part of the label is wrong. If you are skeptical of what I say, RecycleBank says on its website: “Welcome Oak Ridge Residents! …. PLASTIC BAGS ARE ACCEPTED IN THIS RECYCLING PROGRAM.” In addition to plastic bags, the program accepts:
Newspaper
Phone Books
Cardboard (flatten and place in cart)
Glass bottles and jars: clear, green, amber (rinse and discard lids)
Junk mail, magazines, catalogs and phone books
Metal cans: aluminum, steel
Office and school paper
Paper bags
Plastics #1 through #7
3. How do we sign up to get rewards?
You should have received a mailer with a unique ID number for your household. Register that number online at the RecycleBank website or phone the toll-free number on the cart (888-727-2978).
4. What happens to the material that’s collected for recycling? I hope it doesn’t go to a landfill!
The material we recycle goes to a materials recovery facility in Knoxville, where it is sorted (apparently this is mostly done by human crews who watch conveyor belts) and sold. As of a few months ago, the company said it had strong markets for all of the material it received; impressively, all materials except cheap polystyrene were being sold to U.S. buyers. In the current economy those markets have weakened, but the collected material is not being landfilled.
*5. We just moved in to our new house in a new subdivision, and we didn’t get a cart!
Call the local phone number for Waste Connections (482-3656) to request a cart, then call RecycleBank at the toll-free number to sign up for the incentives program.
*6. We would like to start recycling, but we are not physically able to push that cart to the curb.
If there is no one in the household physically able to transport recyclables to and from the curb, you should qualify to receive “back-door” collection for your recyclables. Call Waste Connections at 482-3656 for information.
**7. What if one recycling cart isn’t big enough for my family?
Here’s the answer based on information received today from the city manager: You can contract directly with Waste Connections for a second cart and weekly curbside collection. The cost is $6.50 per month per cart, billed quarterly, in advance. RecycleBank can set it up so that all carts at an address are credited to the same account.
However, you always have the option of giving your extra recyclables to a neighbor who has a smaller family!
*Added on March 9th.
**Added on April 7th.
