While most rural Iowans have to haul their recyclables to a central drop-off center, many larger cities offer curbside recycling, and now Ames is joining that fold. Ames has drop-offs for cardboard, glass and plastic, but the new service is designed to increase participation and conserve landfill space.
Mark Peebler, superintendent of the Ames Resource Recovery Plant, says curbside recycling will also reduce the number of trucks transporting garbage out of Ames. “We’ve done a lot of different studies and research of other communities to see how they are able to attain or achieve their goals for recycling,” Peebler says, “and curbside recycling has the highest percentage rates and diversion from the landfill.”
Peebler says recycling bins were delivered earlier this month to single-family homes and multi-family properties with up to four units. He says, “It’s much easier, much more convenient if you can just put those items that are lightly rinsed and commingled together into one container and put it out for collection.”