83 replies to this topic

[bishmasterb]

The City cant Make you recycle. It is all voluntary.

They can reduce your normal container's size by 50% and provide you with a recycling container. And then charge you for a second normal container. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

And of course, they don't let you opt out of the trash pickup program.

That sounds like force to me.

[nhardy]

Who's  complaining ?  Just stating the facts
See Farley's post - we would put more valid recycle items in if they let us...
Cheers
F500

Actually several complaints. Everything from ugly trash cans making our neighborhoods look ghetto, to "I refuse to recycle what is the city gonna do about it?"

Including your's below referring to this program as the "Not so Smart Recycling".

OK- heres the poop straight from the man in charge of the Not so SMART Recycling program- Rick Shaw  355 8394.

Cheers
F500

I think it's a great program. Just because we're to lazy to separate the damn trash, doesn't mean it won't work.

[CataBird]

Hello:

We finally got our new 'smart carts' for recycling (we live in Lexington Hills), and we had a few questions:

1) what is happening to our old black garbage cans?  I can just imagine the irony if those are thrown away!

2) Is there any requirement that you recycle and use the blue bins?  What if someone chooses to throw everything away into their grey can?  Do we have 'recycling police' checking our garbage cans to ensure that we are recycling?

Does anyone know?

Read the pamphlet that came with your new cans. It explains everything.

It also provides the pick up schedule. This coming week is "green" week, where you put out your (gray) trash can and your (black) "green" can--3 feet apart from each other. Next week will be "blue" week: Again, put out your gray trash can, but instead of the black "green" can, put out your blue recycleables can--three feet away from your trash can.

In case you threw it away: Your black can becomes the "green" recycling bin, used for grass clippings, and other yard waste.

The blue can is for recycleables such as gallon milk cartons, bottles, alluminum cans, newspapers & inserts, etc.

The little gray can is where you put your remainig trash--anything that is not "green" or recycleable.

[kanda]

They can reduce your normal container's size by 50% and provide you with a recycling container. And then charge you for a second normal container. (Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Until I read that last sentence, I thought you were making a suggestion as to how the City could "force" people to recycle.

Too bad they didn't do as you suggest. They cut the trash container's size by only 33% (90 gallons to 60 gallons -- which is the "normal" size for most other communities). Perhaps had they cut it to 45 gallons, they might have had more success.

With recycling, we find we could get by with a 30 gallon trash can. But they don't offer that.

[bishmasterb]

Until I read that last sentence, I thought you were making a suggestion as to how the City could "force" people to recycle.

Too bad they didn't do as you suggest.  They cut the trash container's size by only 33% (90 gallons to 60 gallons -- which is the "normal" size for most other communities).  Perhaps had they cut it to 45 gallons, they might have had more success.

With recycling, we find we could get by with a 30 gallon trash can.  But they don't offer that. 

Sorry, I was off on the can size; maybe it just seems like half the size.

I'll trade you my blue can for your grey one?

[ngilbert]

Geez!! Just recycle. It's really not that difficult. You have the bins, so do it and stop complaining 

Yeah really. How hard is it to just put a paper bag in your kitchen and fill it up with a few bottles and other recylables and then, when the gray bin is filled with garbage, you fill up the blue bin with more garbage and then spread the bag full of recylables on top so it looks like it's completely full of recylables?

Just remember not to put any mail or magazines or anything in there that might lead them back to your address.

Mother Earth will thank you for the effort. C'mon people. It's not brain surgery

[bishmasterb]

What were the purple carts for again?

[CostcoLover]

Try one of these.... let them sort it out afterwards...

http://www.abtelectr...ore=GE&id=10902

[ducky]

I have some questions. If some kind myfolsom member out there with this knowledge and the time could answer them it might clear some things up.

Wasn't the city forced into this recycling program because the prisoners no longer sort our trash? I thought the city would receive fines if we didn't recycle a certain percentage of our garbage.

I admit the three containers is a pain, but I don't mind sorting the green waste, paper cans, etc. However, if other people don't do the same and just throw everything into the gray container will our bills go up? I'm not talking about seniors that can't handle so many containers or families that like to bring their things to the recycle centers themselves to get some extra money, because really they are still keeping it out of the landfill.

We no longer have one overflowing container so I'm okay with it.

[MSgt]

What were the purple carts for again?

Now That's Funny!

[kanda]

Wasn't the city forced into this recycling program because the prisoners no longer sort our trash?

Yep, that's more or less accurate, based on my understanding of history.

I thought the city would receive fines if we didn't recycle a certain percentage of our garbage. 

Also correct. $10,000 per day.

However, if other people don't do the same and just throw everything into the gray container will our bills go up?

I suspect our bills will go up anyway, but I imagine they will go up even more if the city is fined $10,000 per day.

How many families are there in Folsom? How many businesses? Divide $10,000 per day by that sum (30,000?), and you get the portion of the fine for each trash delivery address.

Using those guesses above, that would be about $0.30/day, or $10/mo. I bet there are a lot of people in Folsom would would rather pay $10/mo than recycle. Maybe the city is on to something here. Perhaps their plan all along was to simply pay the fine, and pass it along to ratepayers, while pretending to advocate recycling for those who care about such things.

[Terry]

I have some questions.  If some kind myfolsom member out there with this knowledge and the time could answer them it might clear some things up.

Wasn't the city forced into this recycling program because the prisoners no longer sort our trash?  I thought the city would receive fines if we didn't recycle a certain percentage of our garbage. 

I admit the three containers is a pain, but I don't mind sorting the green waste, paper cans, etc.  However, if other people don't do the same and just throw everything into the gray container will our bills go up?  I'm not talking about seniors that can't handle so many containers or families that like to bring their things to the recycle centers themselves to get some extra money, because really they are still keeping it out of the landfill.

We no longer have one overflowing container so I'm okay with it.

California law requires all cities to be in some type of recycling program that will reduce landfill usage by 50% by 2012(I think - I'll check further on this).

If the cities don't meet the requirement in the law, it is fine (that means you and me will be paying money for NOT doing our part for recycling).

I think I'm gonna do my best for this cause because it's the right thing to do - law or not.

[Terry]

California law requires all cities to be in some type of recycling program that will reduce landfill usage by 50% by 2012(I think - I'll check further on this). 

If the cities don't meet the requirement in the law, it is fine (that means you and me will be paying money for NOT doing our part for recycling). 

I think I'm gonna do my best for this cause because it's the right thing to do - law or not.

Here's the information regarding AB959:

AB939 was passed in 1989 as a response to an increasing shortage of landfill capacity throughout California (and the nation) and an upsurge in interest in conserving California's natural resources. It requires all cities and counties within the state to reach a 50% waste reduction goal by the year 2000. (Using 1990 as a base year for waste generation data). Folsom has an extension (as to most cities and counties) but I'm still unable to determine the date to which the city must meet the 50% reduction.

I intend on supporting MY city's goal and urge the rest of you to support it also. Change is always difficult, but the end results are often rewarding.

[FatCat]

it will be interesting to see how it goes--

at first, people will probably try to be vigilant and do it right, but i have a feeling that alot of people may revert to their old habits--

but i could be wrong--

[CostcoLover]

It took a while to get it going in NYC, but after a while people got used to it and did it automatically without giving it much thought.