Politics & Government
Every-Other-Week Recycling To Begin In September
Homeowners will get one 96-gallon recycle bin on wheels sometime over the next few weeks, the equivalent of four of the green bins we're using now.
The story was amended Aug. 6 at 9 a.m.
Get ready, East Greenwich, because change is coming. We don’t have an exact date, but Department of Public Works Director Joe Duarte said the program is planning on starting the new every-other-week recycle pickup program in September – next month.
Sometime over the next month, every residence will receive one 96-gallon recycle “toter” – which is meant to be able to hold two weeks of recyclables.This is a cost-saving move. There will be new trucks with mechanical arms that hoist up and empty the toter. Because of that, everything MUST be inside or on the toter, not beside it. It's perfectly all right to pile flattened boxes on top of the toter. The key is to make sure the bin can be grabbed by the mechanical arm. (The arm grabs the container using the metal bar below the mid-point that can be seen in the photo here.)
What is being collected is the same, but those unbroken down cardboard boxes you used to just put out at the curb, they will need to be flattened or crushed before they are placed in or on top of the large blue bin.
East Greenwich already recycles 30 percent of its total trash – 40 percent when you count yard waste and everything that’s dropped at the transfer station, said Duarte.
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“That’s fantastic. Most communities, if they can reach 25 percent they’ve done really well.”
Based on that, Duarte said, "I don’t think this is going to be a very big problem for our residents. They’ve demonstrated that they have a willingness to recycle. The only inconvenience is that it’s going to be every other week. That’s the only thing that’s going to be a concern.
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If you think you might need more than one of these toters, Duarte asks you wait for a few weeks, to see how it goes. If you want a smaller toter, contact the Dept. of Public Works at 401-886-8620, although there too, Duarte said the best thing is to take the 96-gallon bin being offered and see how it goes first.
What happens to those trusty old green and blue bins? Duarte said residents can keep them. The town will schedule some pickups for residents who want to get rid of them. And they can be turned in at the DPW Frenchtown Road facility.
"I’m confident. This town is very good with their recycling efforts," said Duarte. "Just tough the first few weeks...."
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