Walton may try to boost recycling efforts
LAUREN SAGE REINLIE / Daily News
2012-05-18 16:01:49
Walton County once again is reviewing how to boost its meager recycling program. At a County Commission workshop Thursday, residents will have a chance to weigh in on what kind of recycling programs they’d like to see and how, if they’re willing, to pay for it. “We get a lot of requests, especially on the south end of the county, asking what we can do from an environmental standpoint to recycle more,” County Administrator Greg Kisela said Friday.
Walton County now recycles less than 2 or 3 percent of the waste produced, Kisela said.
“Percentage-wise we recycle a very limited part of our waste stream,” he said. “We could do much better.”
Janice Floyd, an engineer technician with the county, said recycling rates have been going down. “We like to promote recycling every chance we get because we’re getting kind of lax,” she said.
Under the county’s current program, people can bring recyclables to trailers located across the county. However, there is no curbside pickup. The county also uses a process known as “Dirty MRF,” named for the materials recovery facility where garbage is dropped off. There, garbage moves up a conveyor belt while prison laborers pick off recyclable materials that can be salvaged. “Unfortunately a lot gets contaminated,” Floyd said. The programs are paid for through a 1-cent local option sales tax that commissioners approved in the mid-1990s.
The sales tax option brings in about $12.8 million a year, Kisela said. Two-thirds of the money pays for the county’s solid waste needs: collection, disposal, landfill fees and recycling. The other third is used for debt service and capital projects such road resurfacing. Kisela said the key to implementing a better recycling program will be balancing the costs of collection with how much can be recouped from selling recyclables and avoiding landfill disposal fees. “We’re trying to figure out what level of service is going to give us the most bang for the buck,” he said.
The county has tried pilot programs in the past, including a “blue bag” initiative in which customers put their recyclables in a separate blue bag and placed them in their garbage cans. Unfortunately, many tourists weren’t aware of the program and ended up putting trash into the bags and contaminating the recyclables, Kisela said.
nwfdailynews.com
Edited
Replies
30
Beach Fanatic
Hope they can arrange for curbside pickup. Lots of communities have it, so you'd think it must be economically viable when done right.
Meanwhile, between the blue trailers and the green bins at Publix, it's not that hard to recycle a lot of stuff.
Meanwhile, between the blue trailers and the green bins at Publix, it's not that hard to recycle a lot of stuff.
SoWal Expert
And until they figure it out, which will probably take forever, John Mark Turner and Blu-Binz. He is awesome. Walton County should hire him and have him head up the program.
http://www.sowal.com/bb/showthread....SoWal-Call-For-Curbside-Pickup?highlight=binz
http://www.sowal.com/bb/showthread....SoWal-Call-For-Curbside-Pickup?highlight=binz
Beach Fanatic
And until they figure it out, which will probably take forever, John Mark Turner and Blu-Binz. He is awesome. Walton County should hire him and have him head up the program.
http://www.sowal.com/bb/showthread....SoWal-Call-For-Curbside-Pickup?highlight=binz
How much does he charge?
SoWal Expert
$15/month I think. And we have nice Blu Bin! http://www.blu-binz.com/
SoWal GuideAuthor
And until they figure it out, which will probably take forever, John Mark Turner and Blu-Binz. He is awesome. Walton County should hire him and have him head up the program.
http://www.sowal.com/bb/showthread....SoWal-Call-For-Curbside-Pickup?highlight=binz
I was thinking the same thing - hire Blu Binz to run the whole program. Counties don't do such a good job running businesses. .
Edited
Beach Comber
http://www.ecologycenter.org/iptf/recycling/plasticseduction.html
Beach Lover
In South Florida recycling and green living is a huge thing. Even in our downtown condo, just organic waste went in the trash chutes but we had bins on every floor of our parking garage to place everything from cardboard to light bulbs. I felt weird when I moved here and had to start throwing glass containers away in the same trash can.
Thanks for the heads up on the recycling locations. I hope the county can eventually get a curbside program implemented.
Thanks for the heads up on the recycling locations. I hope the county can eventually get a curbside program implemented.
Beach Fanatic
It is embarrassing that we don't have a curbside recycling program. Most of our visitors are from places that have had recycling programs for years or decades.
Why is it so difficult and why does it require so much analysis and study? There have to be dozens of resort communities with programs we could copy.
Why is it so difficult and why does it require so much analysis and study? There have to be dozens of resort communities with programs we could copy.
Beach Lover
It is embarrassing that we don't have a curbside recycling program. Most of our visitors are from places that have had recycling programs for years or decades.
Why is it so difficult and why does it require so much analysis and study? There have to be dozens of resort communities with programs we could copy.
It is frustrating moving here from a place that you can be fined for not recycling... I inquired with the county about recycling my cardboard and glass since the recycling trailers don't Accept either material and was told to drive to Defuniak with
my cardboard, and that we dot recycle glass, so I should just put that in my trash can. Is there a private recycling center anywhere that might accept these materials?
**frustrated**
Banned
I try to recycle when possible. It's a shame for people not to do so but it takes cooperation from all residents for it to work. I separate everything but when I take my stuff to the recycle bin, people have dumped non-recyclable garbage in and mixed it all up. I used to sell my aluminum cans but I quit because it's hard to find somebody to buy scrap aluminum, so I just take it to the recycle dumpster.
SoWal Staff
We use the recycling bins at either Rosemary Beach or the Inlet Beach fire station. Both still take glass. I go to Publix at least once a week and just load up the car and make a stop. While I think a recycling program that was more convenient would be nice, I'm not sure how many would use it.
Beach Lover
Thanks for the info on the Rosemary and Inlet Beach bins. I have a ton of glass that I'd love to recycle!
Beach Lover
Bottom line. How much would this cost "We the Taxpayer. "
SoWal Expert
It is frustrating moving here from a place that you can be fined for not recycling... I inquired with the county about recycling my cardboard and glass since the recycling trailers don't Accept either material and was told to drive to Defuniak with
my cardboard, and that we dot recycle glass, so I should just put that in my trash can. Is there a private recycling center anywhere that might accept these materials?
**frustrated**
Call John Mark http://www.blu-binz.com/
He has stepped up to the curbside recycling plate. And I agree, curbside recycling has become as commonplace as curbside trash pickup in many communities.
Beach Lover
The City of Tallahassee has operated a very successful program for many years, Walton County should take a look at it.
Beach Lover
Please define success and tell how much it cost.
Beach Fanatic
We use the recycling bins at either Rosemary Beach or the Inlet Beach fire station. Both still take glass. I go to Publix at least once a week and just load up the car and make a stop. While I think a recycling program that was more convenient would be nice, I'm not sure how many would use it.
Where are the Rosemary bins?
Beach Fanatic
Blu binz rocks! Amazing that a motivated person can make it work, but the county can't - even with all the money we pay for garbage pickup!
Beach Fanatic
Blu binz rocks! Amazing that a motivated person can make it work, but the county can't - even with all the money we pay for garbage pickup!
How much do you pay for garbage pickup?
Banned
How much do you pay for garbage pickup?
Now that you mention it, I don't think my garbage pickup costs anything.
Beach Fanatic
It does cost, but it is paid through a 1 cent sales tax within Walton County.
SoWal Insider
It does cost, but it is paid through a 1 cent sales tax within Walton County.
I have to chuckle because apparently some of those that work answering the phone don't know this. I called to have some yard debris picked up and the lady told me she couldn't find an account for me. I said, 'well, I don't know that I have an account' and she told me i couldn't get a truck to come out unless i had an account.
"Lady, I'm calling from South Walton County, south of the bay, our taxes pay for trash pick up". She had no idea what i was talking about.
I told the driver for regular trash pick up and he got on the radio to the yard waste truck and it was picked up the next morning. :roll:Beach Fanatic
We all pay for trash pickup.
In fact we have all overpaid a great deal of money for trash pickup due to being billed for fraudulent addresses for years.
One would think just a fraction of that money would be able to cover start-up costs for curbside recycling.
In fact we have all overpaid a great deal of money for trash pickup due to being billed for fraudulent addresses for years.
One would think just a fraction of that money would be able to cover start-up costs for curbside recycling.
Beach Fanatic
I have to chuckle because apparently some of those that work answering the phone don't know this. I called to have some yard debris picked up and the lady told me she couldn't find an account for me. I said, 'well, I don't know that I have an account' and she told me i couldn't get a truck to come out unless i had an account.All o fWalton County receive the service, not just the south end.
"Lady, I'm calling from South Walton County, south of the bay, our taxes pay for trash pick up". She had no idea what i was talking about.
Beach Fanatic
Back to recycling, where are the bins in Rosemary? I have glass to recycle.
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