Did you know that in the last decade, the percentage of material that is recycled in our state has basically remained stagnant? I know that in every neighborhood that I have lived in here in MA for the last 5 yrs, I have been surprised by the lackof recycling bins out on the sidewalk on trash day. When I lived in Maine, the town I lived in not only did the single stream recycling that most of the larger towns in MA participate in, but we were also charged a dollar for each regular bag of trash that we put out on the curb each week. At the time, it seemed extreme to me, but now having lived in Woburn, Medford and Lawrence and seeing that clearly the majority of recyclable material gets picked up with the regular trash (close to 75% actually on average), I can understand why that type of a pay per dump system just may be what communities need to pressure them into recycling.
The Boston Globe reported on this subject a few months ago and for more information, check out their article:
As a comparisson, the city of Boston’s recycling rate is 13%…..the city of San Fransisco??? 72% !! The pretty much have adopted a zero tolerance program where trash, compost and recyclables are collected separately and you can actually get a fine for not separating your trash correctly. Seems extreme? Tell us what you think!
