How whould I go about improving my town's recycling program?

Question

We have some recyclling oppertunities. Around town there are small drop off site meant for residential items (plastic, steel/aluminum/ newspapers, cardboard). However, the businesses in the area have no option then to just throw their recyclable materials away because there is no pick up or special dumpters they can get. Also, I would like to bring glass recycling to our town since there isn't any.

Answer 1

This will be a challenge.

But gather some friends and some family and go to a nerby park and spend the day picking up trash. But have fun doing it. Then like maybe you can make some flyers asking people if you can go in thier yard or something a pick up litter for like 2 dollars or something. No about no glass recycling. Maybe start a petition and have everyone sign it and then go to your local market (Like VG's or walmart or meijer etc.) and show it to them and request a pop bottle and glass bottle return. You can also write a short, informational business letter to the mayor of your city/town asking for a garbage pickup or a special dumpster. In my town, we have a junk yard where f we bring in stuff, like metal and plastic and glass, we can get money back. It will engourage people to throw thier stuff away. hope this helps!

Answer 2

Have you approached your council?

Answer 3

Well, it may be a bit of a challenge, but get some folks together of the same mind and start a local program that will take away the recyclables to the proper places.  Tell folks to leave there recyclables in a bin marked as such then collect it.  Then contact companies that use recyclables to make their products.  There's one company out where I live that 90% of the aluminum material they make comes from recycled aluminum.  

In fact you could make a little business out of picking up the recycling.  Charge a little cover, nothing too expensive to pick up the recyclables, work with a few employees in your town and either haul it to a local company that uses recycled materials to make their products, or ask a company to come pick it up.  

That's what I would do in your situation.

Answer 4

city council and county boards are the people to approach.  also trash haulers, but if there is no money in it for them, that's an uphill battle.  tipping fees for landfills are skyrocketing in many places, and if there were a fiscally wise alternative, it would make garbage companies look twice.

i am glad your town has these opportunities available for you to recycle...  some towns have separate recyclable/non recyclabe bins side by side in every park to make it easy for people.  the city crews separate them every time they pick up trash.  so simple!  simple is best, it will make it easy for people to accept things that still aren't the 'norm' everywhere.

one approach would be to speak to the persons who set up the recycling center you already have in place.  perhaps a second or third site would encourage more use (and higher volume and more revenue) for them, and since the trucks are already picking up once, it would use little additional fuel (and greenhouse gases) to have another local pickup.  see how receptive the local newspaper is to supporting a better program, and certainly write letters to the editor.  you may be surprised to find there are others who think like you do in your community.  don't give up!

at the very least, there is an active environmental group handy in most colleges or universities.  i know you're in education, and you can subtly 'drop hints' about good stewardship of the planet, but you're looking for results sooner rather than later.  there are people right here on this site that have a lot of wisdom to share, and encouragement to offer.  you're asking great questions, and if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded.  we'll all be!