Could free recycling be coming to end? Looks like it.
At the Tuesday Kent County commissioner’s meeting, Public Works Director Wayne Morris proposed eliminating the county’s curbside recycling program. Currently, the county picks up recycling once a week at no charge.
“There will be changes made in the recycling program this year — and free is not an option anymore,” Morris said.
It costs the county about $500,000 a year for its recycling program including salaries, trucks, and tipping fees. The program generates about $18,000 in revenue a year from landfill savings.
The county would still operate drop-off recycling centers, Morris said.
Allied Waste Services is going to begin offering a single stream recycling option to its customers at no extra charge. Morris said the company will be running ads in upcoming issues of the Kent County News and Star Democrat.
Steve Cades says
Perhaps I mis-remember, but it seems to me that the county recycling system was initiated because its net cost was lower than the equivalent tipping fees at the regional landfill. Perhaps the county’s trash disposal system is so inconvenient that the proportion of households already using Allied Waste is high enough that the county can offload (literally) the recycling function, too.
One way to understand the $109 per quarter we already pay Allied is as an additional “tax” for services not offered by the county. Interesting, though, that a for-profit company can offer recycling at no (additional) charge, but Kent County can’t.
MD Eastern Shore says
Spend a half a million dollars to save 18 grand! You can’t make it up! We’re from the government and we’re here to help!
ford says
It has always been a misconception that recycling pays for itself. Recycling easily costs less than landfilling. Even if you have to pay $20/ton to ship a load to a manufacturer that accepts it free, you’re well below the trash tipping fee of $55/ton, not counting shipping. Plus you don’t have to safeguard the recycling for perpetuity and more jobs are created.
I can’t help asking ” if a waste hauler will throw in recycling for ‘free’, why didn’t they offer recycling in the first place and how much extra profit we’re they making before?”
Carol Mylander says
Let’s charge a per pound rate for trash pick-up, and continue curbside recycling. Let ‘s encourage residents ,businesses and visitors to use less packaging, plastic containers and be more conservative in buying habits especially groceries. Everytime a person makes a purchase , make an environmental decision.
We now know how to improve our waste habits and Kent County has been the best , let’s keep it that way and not go backwards. Let’s keep Kent County GREEN and our streams, creeks, river and bay CLEAN.
Carol
Carla Massoni says
Oh please, please, please, please – corporate America destroys our economy with greed – and the trickle down effect results in more toxic wastes in our streams – and if we try to rectify the situation WE get accused of “tax and spend” – there is something really wrong with this picture – and it smells too.
MD Eastern Shore says
Anything which can be done by a corporation (or government for that matter) can also be done by a non-profit. If you think corporate greed is responsible for a particular problem, there is absolutely nothing in the world stopping you from creating a non-profit to provide a competitive product or service in a more responsible way. So what’s stopping you? Good luck in your new, responsible, nonprofit endeavor.
Marge says
Before coming to conclusions, we need considerably more dollars-and-cents information than this piece contains (or was able to contain because perhaps very little specific info was offered at the commissioners’ meeting). For instance, by category, what were the income and expenses for 2009?
Also, how might the numbers change if pick-ups were made only every other week instead of every week? While we ourselves would prefer pick-up every week, I guess we could tolerate the quantity of recyclables that accumulates during a two-week period, even though there’s something of a storage-space problem.
MD Eastern Shore says
One thing that has always bothered me about curbside recycling is the use of open containers and bins. Ever notice how much plastic stuff blows out of those bins on a windy day? I’m convinced a lot of the plastic I fish out of the bay and river gets there because it blows there, not because boaters are a bunch of thoughtless pigs who toss their trash overboard.
Jim Landskroener says
Just an observation: The one person in this “conversation” whose argument seems to be based solely on cynicism and insult is also the only one who doesn’t have the intellectual courage to use his or her own name.
MD Eastern Shore says
Good morning Jim
Let me ask you this: does my identity really matter, when what I have observed is the following:
1) our county government spent a half a million dollars to save $18,000, and maybe just maybe that’s not a terrific return on investment.
2) any person can start a nonprofit to do anything. provide a good service at a fair price and that person can succeed while benefiting the community.
3) the use of open bins in the curbside recycling effort is polluting our bay on windy days.
Could you tell me exactly why my 3 observations are less valid because you don’t know who I am. If we were having a conversation as a group in a cafe or a public area and I wasn’t known to anyone else, would you tell me that I wasn’t allowed to speak until I told you who I was?
Kevin Shertz says
Let’s not forget that the $500,000 figure includes salaries. We’re reducing costs but we’re also possibly putting people out of work, which has its own set of aftershocks in the community.
The main issue is one of consumption habits: it doesn’t matter whether it’s going in a landfill or a recycling bin, we really need to reduce the amount of waste that we generate.
Warrior Bob Kramer says
MD Eastern Shore says: does my identity really matter?
Seems to me that it’s your opinion that matters… and the fact that somebody actually posts that opinion in public. Think about it in the context of this issue or any other issue we’re faced with in CofK. Don’t we need as many folks as possible engaged in the process?
It’s encouraging to see more folks show up at the county commissioners meetings, because they can see how our county works first hand. And… in most cases it’s not like watching sausage being made. So… MD Eastern Shore… you’re more than welcome to come to the CC meeting next Tues a.m. at 8:30… and we won’t ask your name, although I can’t speak for Miss Ann, because she might ask you anything. Of course, as a matter of courtesy folks do mention their name before they speak if they’re unknown, and the proceedings are a matter of public record.
cellardoor says
What a great county service to do without. And if only people would be more responsible. I know so many that only recycle because someone comes to the curb and picks it up. So much more will go to the landfill now. “Its easier”. And I hate to tell you MDeastern shore, but yes, there are pigs on the water that throw their trash overboard. Again, “its easier”. If only doing the right thing wasn’t so much effort. I hope they change their mind on ending the curbside recycling, and just cut back on it. But if people did what was right, we wouldn’t need it.
Anna says
I am so disheartened to read this bit of news! I understand the financial constraints the county is facing, but I hate to think of the impact this will have on the Green initiatives which are just beginning to gain some momentum. I guess Chestertown will have to throw out the idea of enforcing mandatory recycling for residents. Does this also mean the on-street recycling cans in Chestertown will disappear?
Have alternatives to ending the recycling program been explored? Even monthly pick-up would be preferable to having it totally gone.
Marge says
We have participated in the curbside recycling program from its beginning, and I cannot recall even one occasion when plastic items have been blown from our sometimes heaping bin. I have not seen this elsewhere in our neighborhood either—and I probably would have noticed had it occurred or seemed a problem. This is not to say this has not happened elsewhere, but it probably is rare and can be prevented easily by householder care in loading bins. I’d say this is a non-issue and ought not to distract from the larger questions here.
Doneitall says
Looks like my stuff is headed for the woods.
DJTLD says
Just a thought…a ‘non-profit’ still costs money to operate….
Chris says
I just learned of the possible discontinuation of curb-side recycling. Just when it was starting to “catch on”. Ever notice how many of those green bins you see on your way to work? I have been recycling for years, but I must say one main reason is because it has been made so easy for me by having it curb-side. Please let’s consider other alternatives to stopping the program altogether. Thanks!
MD Eastern Shore says
DJTLD
Yes a non-profit costs money to operate but since greed is killing the country (or so says Carla above) I thought we should consider the alternative of taking the profit out of the equation. I certainly won’t start a recycling business if I can’t make a profit, but maybe someone else will.
cellardoor
Sure there are litterbugs on the water, but as someone who has boated here on the bay for 10 years, I see very little of it. If I saw someone throw something overboard I would give them a very hard time about it. In fact, I might just fish it out of the water and throw it back on their boat.
DJTLD says
MD Eastern Shore – Well, there actually is a non-profit recycling company locally, however, I’m curious how many of the residents would still recycle if they had to pay for the service.
MD Eastern Shore says
DJTLD
It’s a great question! Of course, the whole point of the article is that residents WERE paying for recycling… a half a million dollars worth… Kent County is what, 10,000 homes max? That’s $50/home/year. The only difference is it’s part of the property taxes, not a separate check. It’s not free, it just feels free The psychology of it all is fascinating.