Recent trash talks led to a robust conversation about recycling in San Angelo. Shane Kelton, the city’s operations director, said San Angeloans cover the spectrum — from the “you can’t make me recycle” types to those who diligently recycle, and everything in between.
Right now Republic Services picks up recycling every week and bulk items quarterly, but the city is exploring the idea of making bulk pickup monthly and recycling pickup every other week, with an additional can provided free to heavy recyclers.
R.A. Cantrell, a regular at the trash meetings who fell short in a bid to join the City Council in May, opposes recycling.
“The idea of recycling has been massaged into the minds of the public until its become acceptable … become virtuous,” he said at the city’s final trash forum. “Recycling is one of the most wasteful human activities.”
San Angeloan Barbara Durkay shared another perspective at the forum. She warned that her suggestion wouldn’t be the preferable way to recycle, but that the city could do it like other countries.
“In Germany you’re forced to recycle because your trash can is only about this high and this big a round.” Durkay said, demonstrating the size with arm motions. “When you’re forced to recycle, you get into the habit real quickly and then its just a natural part of your life.”
Kelton told the forum audience that a few cities along the I-35 corridor already are doing something similar to Germany. “They actually have trash police,” he told the audience. “They hire people to go around and police your trash, to see if you’re actually recycling or throwing away recyclables. That’s not as far away as you think.”
Another resident, Heidi Brooks, shared her experience at the meetings. “I grew up in Austin. They recycle every other week and they recycle numerous things, including glass, which is the weightiest part of recycling,” Brooks said. “So for us to get that 50 cent extra tab” — a surcharge for not reaching recycling weight targets — “we’re being punished for not recycling, when you’re not even giving us the opportunity to recycle the things that create the weight.”
To read the full story, visit http://www.gosanangelo.com/news/local/community-weighs-in-on-recycling-3dbad62f-fa14-467a-e053-0100007f6d71-395537631.html.