Automatic curbside recycling coming to Santa Clara?

ST. GEORGE — The City of Santa Clara is considering citywide automatic curbside recycling. If the majority of citizens indicate through an online survey that they want the program, officials say the city will move forward with the plan.

If approved, all residents will be signed up for the service, but they will be able to make a phone call and opt-out at any time, Santa Clara City Manager Ed Dickie said.

The city, itself, would not provide the service, but it would administer the billing through the monthly utility bill. If a resident terminates the service, the resident would no longer be billed for it.

This service would be done through Republic Services – a trash and recycling provider formerly known as Allied Waste – that already offers curbside recycling to Santa Clara residents who subscribe.

Curbside recycling has been an opt-in service in Santa Clara and across Washington County since 2009, Tracy Skenandore, area director of public relations for Republic, said. Republic Services currently charges around $9.10 per month for the service. This price fluctuates depending on current fuel costs. The service supplies the resident with a recycling container and then picks it up weekly on the same day as regular trash day.

The containers are about the same size as a typical residential container. Residents can recycle paper, all kinds of plastics, cardboard, aluminum, and metal. However, because the program is all-in-one and the materials are mixed, Republic Services does not accept glass.

Once picked up, the recycling is taken to Rocky Mountain Recycling to be separated, recycled, and shipped to manufacturers for reuse.

If Santa Clara decides on the opt-out program, some revenue would be used to help fund a veterans memorial, Dickie said.

Also, some of the recycling ‘binnies’ within Santa Clara’s boundaries might be removed. The recycling ‘binnie’ program, provided by Washington County Solid Waste, gleans money for its program’s operational costs from residents’ trash removal fees.

More information on the City of Santa Clara’s curbside recycling consideration will be available in the upcoming city newsletter, which will introduce the online survey slated to be on the cities website soon.

Dickie is hoping that the public survey will be available in August, he said.

Note: Automatic curbside recycling was also discussed by St. George City Mayor Jon Pike in the City of St. George’s council meeting in May.

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5 Comments

  • EPA July 7, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    Recycling is a loosing financial proposition. In fact the reason this has been proposed. It is to off set the loss income by a business in Washington county. You don’t make money from recycling, you do make money when everyone is forced to pay for a service or from government kick back. But this is one way that individuals are doing something positive in there life. It’s like saving a tree, a Beatle, a turtle, a whale or anything else. Being positive isn’t bad. Causing everyone to participate now that’s the problem.

    • 375ultra July 8, 2014 at 8:46 am

      if forced into this program I will use it as just another garbage can.

      • Lance July 8, 2014 at 9:39 am

        That would be a valid respone. If the do-gooders need to raise taxes/fees and foist this nonsense on everyone then mix garbage into the stream to monkey wrench the system. And no matter what they say it will cost somebody somehow, nothing is done for free and there is little market for what gets separated out.

  • JOSH DALTON July 8, 2014 at 11:13 am

    I wondered when the city was going to start this. The money from the program is already going into a private owners pocket…I think. Anyway I always wondered why people would drop things off in the bins just to line some persons own pockets.

  • Lp July 8, 2014 at 12:08 pm

    It isnt forced on anyone. Residents can terminate service anytime. At least that is what it said in the article.

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