Rockbridge Report

Curbside recycling hits some bumps

By JESS RAMOS

In its third week of operation, Lexington’s curbside recycling program has run into a few roadblocks.

First, the special plastic bags required were not always available. Then, some residents who found the bags believed they were too expensive. And still other residents found the bags too heavy to carry once they were filled with heavy items like newspapers.

Recycled material must be put into clear trashbags for Lexington's new recycling program. (JESS RAMOS/Rockbridge Report)

“There are some things that need to be tweaked here and there,” Lexington Public Works Director David Woody acknowledged.

Woody hopes the problem with finding bags will be resolved quickly. He had written to residents in mid-October that the plastic bags would be available at area locations, but the first week of the recycling program, Wal-Mart and Kroger ran out. Food Lion never had them.

Woody said the city had called the locations well in advance, and the stores said they would order enough bags. He hopes that once people purchase enough bags, the stores will be able to keep a supply of the bags on hand and not run out.

Another problem is the bags’ cost, which range at Wal-Mart from $3.28 for a dozen 13-gallon bags to $7.96 for a box of 50 33-gallon bags.

Before the city adopted curbside recycling, residents could drop their recyclables off at no charge at any of several county-maintained recycling centers. In many other communities, including Buena Vista, recycling receptacles are provided with no charge to residents.

Woody said the city is aware that the cost of the clear plastic bags presents a problem for some residents and is searching for alternatives.

One possibility the city is looking into is allowing reuse of the bags if they are in good condition and have no holes. Also, the city is looking into using another type of bag, like cheaper blue translucent bags.

“If it’s clear and they can see what’s in it, it should be acceptable,” Woody said.

The bags must be clear so workers who pick up trash and recycling in the early morning can differentiate between the two.

Some residents suggest the city change receptacles entirely and use a colored plastic bin instead of plastic bags.

“I think the plastic [bags] just in the long run is not going to work out,” said resident Susie Thompson.

But collecting recyclables in a large colored plastic bin would not work for Lexington, said Woody. Some of Lexington’s streets and alleyways are too narrow for the recycling truck used by ATP, one of the companies hired by the city to collect the material.

Instead, the city collects recyclables using its own smaller brush trucks and the contents are sorted at APT and Auto Recyclers’ facility in Buena Vista.

The bags’ weight when full was another problem encountered in the first two weeks. Residents complained that senior citizens and people who are not strong lifters had difficulty carrying the recyclables to the curb. A 32-gallon plastic bag full of newspapers can weigh more than 100 pounds.

The new recycling program has been popular among Lexington residents. (JESS RAMOS/Rockbridge Report)

“If you load one of those big bags, I don’t even know if I can pick it up,” said Woody. “It’s so bulky. I can definitely understand an elderly person struggling with it or having the thing tear open on them.”

The key, Woody said, is to put heavy items in a smaller bag, like the 13-gallon instead of the 32-gallon size. He acknowledged that in its initial letter, the city should have clarified that smaller bags are better for those who cannot lift heavy things.

Before curbside recycling, Lexington residents sorted and dropped off their recyclables at various locations in the county.

Curbside recycling began for Lexington during the week of Oct. 20. The city initiated the program because the county landfill is reaching capacity and will close in 2012.

Despite the start-up problems, Woody estimates some areas of the city already have 90 percent participation in curbside recycling. ATP and Auto Recyclers will not release a report of total tons recycled until January.

Resident Rob Fure has not experienced any problems with the recycling program.

“I think it’s a great initiative by the community,” said Fure, who had no problem finding bags. “It’s a little cumbersome, but it’s a good cause.”

But for residents like Thompson, the inconveniences might outweigh the benefits.

“We will continue recycling no matter what,” she said, “but whether it will be curbside, that’s the question.”

Information provided by Lexington Department of Public Works

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