Curbside Recycling

Bill & Visionaries--

Thanks for your continuing interest in the curbside recycling program. I
have attached a full copy of the most recent quarterly volume report, the
summary of which you saw in Talkin' Trash. The report is in Microsoft Excel
2000 format, and I will try to get a copy up on our website
(www.moscowrecycling.com) in Adobe Acrobat format later today for
those who cannot open the Excel file.

In response to your questions, I can only give you my opinions as to whether
the program is effective and worthwhile. Recycling programs in general, and
curbside recycling in particular are not profit-generating by any means, and
we should not expect them to be. They are a public service, just like waste
disposal or sewage treatment. The thing that makes recycling beneficial to
taxpayers is that it almost always costs less than alternative processes
(landfilling, incineration, garbage rocket to the sun ;), etc.).

In addition to the avoided cost issue, there are the environmental benefits
to curbside recycling. For example, since the start of Moscow's curbside
recycling program, we have seen a slight reduction in traffic at the
recycling center. We still have a very busy drop-off center, but we don't
see the 5-car line waiting to get into the recycling center parking lot on
Saturdays anymore--less traffic means less air pollution and less use of
fossil fuels. And since we have not seen a corresponding drop in volumes
(volumes are actually up from the years prior to the start of curbside
recycling), I would say that curbside recycling is bringing in some
additional material over the drop-off alone.

Overall, it seems that people know that recycling is beneficial. For some
people, a strong personal belief in preserving our planet's resources is
enough to motivate them to recycle. Other people are motivated by external
factors--for example, saving money by putting fewer trash cans on the curb.
And for others, convenience is the deciding factor--that's where the
curbside program comes in. Although some people will argue that the
required sorting and two-week schedule cancels out the convenience of
having recyclables picked up at their homes, for others sorting materials in their bins is prefferable to driving to the recycling center after work or on the weekends.

As you look at the full curbside volume report, each of you will draw your
own conclusions as to whether the program is cost-effective based on your
own personal opinions and beliefs concerning recycling.

Before looking at the full report, however, I feel that I should offer one
piece of information. Curbside figures in the "this month last year" column
are somewhat inflated because it was the first year of Moscow's curbside
program, and nationally, curbside programs report higher than average volumes
during the first year of operation. Reasons for this trend vary, but seem
to boil down to two main factors--during the first year of a program,
participation is higher because people are eager to try something new, and
in many cases, there is a "saving up" factor where residents begin setting
aside their recyclables weeks before the curbside program actually starts.
As time goes on, volumes and participation level out, and we are
able to get a more accurate picture of how the program is going. I will
continue to post the quarterly reports to our website and inform Vision 2020 of those postings so that those of you who are interested can track our program's progress.

As always, we welcome your questions and comments. Please feel free to
contact me at the phone number below or via e-mail if you would like to
discuss this matter further.

Respectfully,
Robin Baumgartner
Moscow Recycling/Latah Sanitation, Inc.

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