Single Stream Recycling

Single Stream Recycling

By Tiffany Young Friday, 24 October 2008

This month, the City of Austin began delivering blue 90-gallon recycling carts to Austin Solid Waste Service’s residential customers.

All recyclables can be placed into one cart. New carts will be delivered to 170,000 customers over the next three months and will be emptied by city trucks instead of by hand.
Collection will be every two weeks as opposed to once a week. The system is the first major change solid waste services has seen in about 15 years, Solid Waste Service Director William Rhodes said at a press conference in October. The city expects a 40 percent increase in the amount of recyclable material collected with the addition of the new carts, Rhodes said. Mayor Will Wynn said, along with diverting more waste from landfills, the new system will save the city on fuel consumption, hence reducing the effects of global warming. By collecting the 90-gallon recycling carts less often, the city will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 78 tons, Wynn said.

“Austin is leading the way on the state and national level with environmental protection, and this is
another big step forward,” Wynn said. “[The new
system] will be easier, more convenient and bring great things for the environment.”

Wynn said this will be a dramatic help to the solid waste department, saving time, money and resources for the city. The new system also allows more products to be recycled. Accepted recyclables include paper, cardboard, boxboard, aluminum cans, metal cans, plastic and glass.

What goes in the recycling cart?

Paper

• Newspaper
• Office paper
• Junk mail
• Cereal and soft drink boxes
• Corrugated cardboard

Aluminum and metal cans

• Food and soda cans

Glass

• Jars
• Bottles

Rigid plastics

• Plastics types 1-7
• Yogurt tubs
• Margarine tubs

What cannot be recycled:

• Plastic bags
• Styrofoam cups
• Styrofoam egg cartons
• Styrofoam takeout containers
• Pizza boxes
• Broken glass

A 40 percent increase in the amount of recyclable material collected is expected from the new program.

Carts will be collected every two weeks, which will save 78 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and lower fuel costs for the city.