Recycling Reform On Hold

Its tough.. I live in an apartment building where there is no option for recycling- only a dumpster in the back for everything. I need to sneak across the street on trash nights to add my recycling to someone else's. Is there a plan in place that would make it an obligation for property managers to make recycling available for their tenants?

An Average 10% recycling? That's a shameful rate. Recycling is in everyone's interest and those neighborhoods that are slacking need to be encouraged much more forcefully by their aldermen, community leaders - even clery, to get in the game. As progressive as New Haven is, there is NO EXCUSE for such poor stewardship of our resources and environment. Thank you to those conscientious people who already do the right thing and don't need to be coddled with additional incentives.

GUY,

I think that buildings with 4 or more apartments are required by the city to manage their own waste...I found this passage about recycling in the municode.

<i>New Haven Municipal Code
ARTICLE I
Sec. 30¾-13 (j)
Recycling for residents not entitled to municipal collection.
The owner of each residential building not entitled to city solid waste collection must comply with all federal, state and local recycling laws.</i>

The way that I read this is that, since the state requires recycling, building owners who do private collection must also do recycling. If I'm right and if you registered a complaint with the DEP, they could probably notify your building owner of the recycling requirement.

Less than 10%? Does that mean that less than 10% of us living in New Haven recycle, or does that mean that less than 10% of recycleables are recycled? I'm lost on the statistic.

I was so looking forward to using my large trash tote for recycling. Until RecycleBank and Toters solves their problems, I'll just keep doing what I do: using 2-3 large Tupperware totes to recycle, and only putting out the trash tote 1-2 a month.

Robn,
Thanks, Ill check it out!

Is this delay related to Scott Brown's election? Or am I confusing recycling with health care reform?

I believe the law requires private hauling for condo/apartment buildings with 6 or more units. Recycling rates are generally calculated as percentage by weight of materials successfully diverted from the waste stream (that is to say, how much of what is thrown out gets recycled). Yes, our figure of <10% is dismal - bad for the environment AND a financial burden to taxpayers.

The delay in the implementation of the new program is very disappointing, and the uncertainty about its future is demoralizing to those of us who supported (and still support) the new program. Not that this is the City's fault, but you can't help but wonder if City Hall had been more proactive about improving recycling and done this a few years ago when the credit markets and the economy were strong, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation. When you snooze you lose. If the program doesn't get rolled out by this fall, it'll probably have to wait until next spring. As we know from the health care debate, the longer these things get drawn out, the more likely it is they will just die on the vine.

Great, highest taxes around and we still have these tiny blue plastic totes that barely hold one persons recycling for the week. Another HUGE problem is that without lids on the recycle bins the paper and plastic blows all over the streets when it gets windy adding to the already HUGE garbage problem in this city.

Yet another thought- why would anyone want to sort recycling from a nasty old garbage can? I know people that have been shoveling dog crap strait into their garbage cans for years.

The new smaller totes should be used for the recycling not the current large totes. It is unrealistic to break the entrenched habit of throwing our trash into the large bin. In addition, I will never have enough recyclables to fill the large bin, but as the picture in the lead to this story shows, we (New Haven residents) routinely fill the current large bins with trash.

Bottom line use the small bin for recyclables and the large bin for trash!

With the current price for re-cycled commodities in the dumper with everything else, I'm not sure how this company will actually make money but I'm willing to give it a go. The smaller garbage tote was a concern, but since we started to really focus on what can be re-cycled, it's surprising how much there really is. So, put me in the disappointed column for the delay but looking forward to getting it off the ground as soon as possible. Anything that will streamline and cut costs is appreciated. Now, how about some other ideas to save taxpayers dollars?

<i>The new smaller totes should be used for the recycling not the current large totes</i>

100% agreement - I've been saying that since this idea was first made public. We can get much of the benefit with the reasonable effort by providing the new covered containers for single-stream recycling, both of which address the biggest hassles that I believe keep more people from recycling. Clouding the picture with ridiculous ideas such as swapping the containers or weighing trash was a foolish path for the city to take; it's time to recant those ideas and stick with the more moderate approach. Other ideas can always be evaluated down the road.

One step forward, two steps back. Come on, New Haven! Let's move into the 21st century. My recycling is always overflowing, while my neighbors' trash is always overflowing, jam-packed w/ recyclables going into the landfill.