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City Recycling Program Saves Funds, Environment: Officials Hope to See More Participation

Posted on: Wednesday, 3 May 2006, 18:00 CDT

By Michelle Dunlop, The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho,

May 3--TWIN FALLS -- Just a bundle of newspapers here and a handful of cans there add up when it comes to the city's recycling program.

"Everybody can do a little bit and it helps," said Sherry Jeff, city sanitation director. "It's a benefit to everybody in the city if they do recycle."

The little bit that Twin Falls city residents have put into blue plastic totes every week over the past six months has added up to 394,417 pounds of recyclables that haven't ended up in the landfill. That amounts to about $6,500 in saved landfill fees, Jeff said. Combine that with the $4,356 in revenue the city made from the recycled products and you've got a recycling program worth $10,856 -- to say nothing of its environmental impacts.

Still, those involved with the program want to see more participation from residents.

Twin Falls Mayor Lance Clow had hoped for a little better results in the months following the city's curbside program implementation last October. However, Clow expects greater participation as public awareness of the program grows.

And, the change in seasons may also help, said Les Reitz, with PSI Environmental Systems, the company providing the program. Typically, the waste disposal company collects roughly 50 percent less garbage from January to March as it does during summer months, Reitz said.

Last year, city officials estimated a 10 percent annual reduction in deliveries to the landfill. For the 12-month period from October 2004 to September 2005, the city of Twin Falls sent about 18,420 tons of garbage to the landfill, Jeff said.

There was some concern initially that the Twin Falls Kiwanis Club, which began collecting recyclables in the area in 1978, would be negatively impacted from the city's recycling effort. However, Elmer Hagerty with the club says that the organization has not seen a significant decline in their voluntary recycling program.

"It hasn't decreased too much," Hagerty said.

During the first six months of the curbside project, PSI collected 22,357 pounds of cans, 109,099 pounds of cardboard and 262,961 pounds of newspaper, Jeff said.

City Finance Director Gary Evans says that it's still early for city officials to determine whether the recycling program is successful enough to warrant a reduction in residents' sanitation bills. To date, residents could only expect an average monthly decrease of 16 cents. But, more recyclables collected means greater savings, he said.

"I've recycled newspaper and aluminum cans for a long time," Evans said. "You just have to sort out those items from the rest of the garbage ... it isn't too hard and it helps the environment."

Times-News reporter Michelle Dunlop can be reached at 735-3237 or by e-mail at mdunlop@magicvalley.com.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho,

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Source: The Times-News

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