Recycling is one of the first things I pay attention to when I visit a city for the first time. My wife and I went out to San Francisco twice last year to visit friends and I was envious of their municipal waste system…odd, yes, but I’m being honest. The city actually mandates recycling AND residential composting! Not surprising then that they claim a 72%+ recycling rate…reportedly the highest on Earth.
My new city of Lawrence, meanwhile, only boasts a slight jump on the national average: a whopping 35% in 2007. Apparently that’s better than the every other city in the State of Kansas. Of course it was 34% in 2003, so we’re not really seeing a strong increase in public participation. I’m not sure if you can expect a substantial increase if you have a private, voluntary curbside recycling program. City officials like the Division Manager for Solid Waste, Bob Yoos, are complacent with the status quo. He has been a constant voice in the ears of the city government…why choose a public option and have that added expense when we’re already above the national average?
I do, however, like having Sunflower Recycling as my curbside recycling company. The downside: I pay $12/month for bi-weekly recycling and I have to sort everything before pickup. Advantage: the service provider actually cares about recycling and ensures the items end up where they are supposed to go. I didn’t have the same level of trust with my public recycling option in the suburbs near DC. I suppose the upside to private service is the motivation that fee-paying customers can induce. I really do have a vote, whereas with the public option the county would likely ignore my requests for improved service.
I don’t think there has to be a compromise. Mandatory curbside recycling is necessary if you want to truly change the status quo and divert a majority of waste from the landfill. Cities like San Francisco have proven that they can provide a public option that works. I hope Lawrence eventually gets with the program.
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