Tulsa will burn trash again

[Hoss]

I just don't understand why Tulsa doesn't go the way of other cities her size and provide the means for recycling at the curb.  Arlington VA does it.  If I remember correctly, didn't a poll indicate a majority of Tulsans if given the means to do it without having to trek across town, would recycle using bins provided by their refuse provider (City and/or contractor)?  Maybe I'm crazy.  I'll admit right now the only thing I'm recycling is newspaper, but honestly, I don't want to have to trek across town (using gas in the process) just to dispose of my recycles.  I'm sure a lot of people feel this way.

[PepePeru]

So Pepe...what do you do with your #5 plastics and your batteries?

Considering you make us take off our lids (#5 plastic) on pop bottles, you don't yogurt containers, QT cups (#5 plastic) I see all over town,  I throw them away.

I keep my batteries in a baggie until such a time that the planets and stars align that I remember I have a baggie full of batteries and that I will be driving by a M.e.t. Center and drop them off. 

That is why I typed in my original post, "my #5 plastic and others batteries"

Believe me if you had another suggestion for me to recycle my #5 plastic I would do it.

Same with my paperboard products (beer boxes, cereal boxes etc).  I still save it, on the off-chance that I actually drive out by Sand Springs, ( I still haven't ascertained by Sand Springs gets to recycle paper & cardboard and Tulsa does not) I drop it off there.  If you have another suggestion for that, I'm all eyes.

Now, I am obviously not "Joe Tulsa" and I do take an active role in my waste management practices.  It would be nice if others would do the same, but I'm also realistic.  I read comments on Tulsa World.  I see how much trash is just laying on the ground in this City.  Joe Tulsa doesn't give a crap.

Hey I lived in apartments for the first 2.5 years in this City, you talk about a PITA to recycle there.  So, sure these bins are great to be able to toss it in there, but I'm still left with piles of trash in my house, b/c I for one, happen to give a crap.

[Conan71]

I'd have to see the nuts and bolts on the financials on this transaction:

As I understand it, they NEED our trash to operate.  And we are not sold on the idea that causing more airborn pollution by burning out trash is a good thing.  Thus, can't we negotiate the price on shipping our trash to them?

If they want to charge us ~$12 a ton (whatever the numbers are) hoping to generate a 20% profit, lets counter at $10 a ton so they can take a 10% profit (or whatever).   It seems like we have the negotiating chip.  The worst possible outcome from our perspective is we negotiate to the point that they walk away and we are left with the status quo (when we aren't convinced we want to change anyway). 

I need to know the nuts and bolts.  How much money are WE going to save (and will I save that money) and have we negotiated to the best of our ability given the options available.  When you have multiple parties that want your business, make them haggle!

I'd also be interested to see other details:   emissions reports for the burner when it was operating.  How many cars worth of pollution does it equate to (a number people can relate to)?  Auxiliary costs of operating it: change in pickup schedule, expense of disposing of the possibly hazardous ash, who has to hold insurance?  What effect does this have to discourage recycling efforts?

FYI- they are making steam now so they are getting burnables from somewhere, they may not need our trash as bad as we need them.  Until RM chimes in and says what he knows of what's being burned there now and whether or not it's sufficient steam production for Holley to keep it's own boilers shut down, it's hard to know if Covanta really has a "demand" for our trash.  That ball may be entirely in their court.

[Conan71]

I just don't understand why Tulsa doesn't go the way of other cities her size and provide the means for recycling at the curb.  Arlington VA does it.  If I remember correctly, didn't a poll indicate a majority of Tulsans if given the means to do it without having to trek across town, would recycle using bins provided by their refuse provider (City and/or contractor)?  Maybe I'm crazy.  I'll admit right now the only thing I'm recycling is newspaper, but honestly, I don't want to have to trek across town (using gas in the process) just to dispose of my recycles.  I'm sure a lot of people feel this way.

We've got 2x a month curb-side in my 'hood.  I assumed that was available city-wide, is it not?

[Hoss]

We've got 2x a month curb-side in my 'hood.  I assumed that was available city-wide, is it not?

Not for where I live.  I think it's only available if the City is the one doing your refuse.  We have a contractor.  Whatever happened to the city going to do all the trash city-wide?

Edit:  Never mind; I see where the City's website says it's available city wide, so I think I shall try and sign up.

[RecycleMichael]

Until RM chimes in and says what he knows of what's being burned there now and whether or not it's sufficient steam production for Holley to keep it's own boilers shut down, it's hard to know if Covanta really has a "demand" for our trash.  That ball may be entirely in their court.

They have been barely open for a while, burning commercial waste on a spot basis and getting small amounts of suburb residential waste. They now offer a competitive price to the landfill and the haulers like the burn plant. It is closer to the majority of businesses than the landfill reducing fuel costs and operational hours. It has easy access and a paved road compared to the landfill mud.

They have three boilers and can operate them one at a time, but really need Tulsa's trash to run the whole plant and make a decent profit.

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

Same with my paperboard products (beer boxes, cereal boxes etc).  I still save it, on the off-chance that I actually drive out by Sand Springs, ( I still haven't ascertained by Sand Springs gets to recycle paper & cardboard and Tulsa does not) I drop it off there.  If you have another suggestion for that, I'm all eyes.

I take my cardboard to the MET center in Broken Arrow.  They don't take pizza boxes though and that is 50% of my cardboard.  I have always taken my batteries and used up ink cartridges to Best Buy.  They have a recycling bin by the exit.  Best Buy also takes old computers, televisions, monitors, cell phones, etc.

[Red Arrow]

Unfortunately Best Buy takes TVs up to 32".  We bought a new TV recently at BB but have an older CRT 33" that is inop to dispose of.

[RecycleMichael]

Television recyclers, from the M.e.t. website...

http://www.metrecycle.com/c/directory/type/electronics/tvs/

A 33 inch television will probably cost you $15 to drop-off.

[sauerkraut]

I hope this trash burning plant will not be anything like the trash burning plant Columbus, Ohio had on the south side of the city- that thing really stunk. They have since shut it down. Recycling is expensive, in fact "going green" is always very costly, when you'd think it'll be cheaper. My employer went "green" back in 2007 by recycling old paper  but dropped out of the project when tax credits were lost and it got to be too expensive to do.

[sauerkraut]

Television recyclers, from the M.e.t. website...

http://www.metrecycle.com/c/directory/type/electronics/tvs/

A 33 inch television will probably cost you $15 to drop-off.

That's not bad- Best Buy charged $20.00 to take your old TV set -or it was free if you bought a new TV set from them at a certain size & price. I duuno what they do now. I remember the good 'ol days when we could just chuck a old TV set out at the curb for the trash man for free. BTW those new flat screen thin TV sets use alot more power than the old CRT sets- The wattage is higher and  just walking by a display of TV sets in a store  and you can feel the heat from them. If they really want to save electric we should go back to CRT's.

[Red Arrow]

Television recyclers, from the M.e.t. website...

http://www.metrecycle.com/c/directory/type/electronics/tvs/

A 33 inch television will probably cost you $15 to drop-off.

Thanks. 

Our trash hauler would haul it for $10 but we had to break the CRT, not something I was looking forward to doing and then have them not take it for some reason.

[RecycleMichael]

Please don't break the CRT. It contains many pounds of lead to protect you from radiation. We don't want to burn or bury lead.

[Red Arrow]

Please don't break the CRT. It contains many pounds of lead to protect you from radiation. We don't want to burn or bury lead.

I won't.  I knew there was stuff in there that should stay in there.   

I just checked the model number (previously just put a tape across the screen diagonal) and it turns out it's a 32" so we should be able to take it to Best Buy along with $10.

[custosnox]

BTW those new flat screen thin TV sets use alot more power than the old CRT sets- The wattage is higher and  just walking by a display of TV sets in a store  and you can feel the heat from them. If they really want to save electric we should go back to CRT's.

Try again and do some research before making claims.  Power consumption depends on size (many people have a 40"+ tv now, which will draw more power then your old 27" CRT), type (Plasma, which is not in wide use, tends to be less energy efficent then LCD) and other factors. 

Here is a quick article on the subject just in case you decide you want to actually educate yourself.

http://www.economicallysound.com/tvs_as_energy_hogs.html