New Recycling Contractor

[SXSW]

I think Norman has a good system that Tulsa could emulate.  Have the city provide the polycart and recycling bin for a one-time charge on your trash bill.  Trash and recycling pick up would be once a week, and all items must either be in the polycart (trash) or recycling bin (paper, plastic, glass, etc.).  If you have more trash than can fit, too bad you have to dump it yourself or wait until next week.  Finally, charge each household based on volume.  Not sure how they can check this but if you recycle more you should be rewarded by paying less than someone who doesn't recycle and generates more trash.  

Also in Norman everyone pays to recycle whether you do it or not.  In Tulsa it's voluntary which is crap.

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

Then you need to instruct the city when a customer calls to dispense that specific information.  Just telling us that anything with a 1 or 2 on it obviously is incorrect.

But they've never left anything in my bin that would have been considered out of bounds (walmart bags, medicine bottles, etc).  And the medicine bottles I see (the OTC ones) almost all have a 2 or 1 on them.

No wonder very few people recycle

The recycling pickup guys in my neighborhood looked like meth heads.  I think they only knew how to dump the bin in the back of the truck and didn't know the recycling rules.  I assume all the things that broke the rules just get thrown in the trash and defeat the purpose. 

The city needs to change this and force all to recycle and implement recycling for more items.  My #1 goal for Tulsa should be to pay for trash service by the weight and get paid to recycle with a company like RecycleBank.com

[SXSW]

I contacted the city and will be getting my recycling bin soon.  They then tell me I must separate my recyclables in the bin?  In Norman you just throw everything in and they sort it for you. 

[SXSW]

The city needs to change this and force all to recycle and implement recycling for more items.  My #1 goal for Tulsa should be to pay for trash service by the weight and get paid to recycle with a company like RecycleBank.com

YES!!

[Hoss]

I contacted the city and will be getting my recycling bin soon.  They then tell me I must separate my recyclables in the bin?  In Norman you just throw everything in and they sort it for you. 

Should have gotten two.  I put plastics in one, paper in the other (essentially all they want you to do is separate paper from plastic).

[SXSW]

Should have gotten two.  I put plastics in one, paper in the other (essentially all they want you to do is separate paper from plastic).

How strict are they?  Most of what we recycle is plastic like milk, orange juice, etc. and paper/newspaper.  Could stick all paper, for instance, in a paper bag to keep it separate from plastic/glass?

[Hoss]

How strict are they?  Most of what we recycle is plastic like milk, orange juice, etc. and paper/newspaper.  Could stick all paper, for instance, in a paper bag to keep it separate from plastic/glass?

With paper/plastic?  Very strict from my understanding.

And yes, you could stick the paper in a bag; once I had a bunch of recycles (during one of the 3 week periods).  I used both bins for plastics and a box I had around for the newspaper.  They left the box.  Just be careful putting the box out during a gully-washer (like last night).  Make sure you waterproof it.  And definitely spring for the lids.

[Conan71]

I contacted the city and will be getting my recycling bin soon.  They then tell me I must separate my recyclables in the bin?  In Norman you just throw everything in and they sort it for you. 

Meh, not a big deal.  I put my recyclables on a countertop near my front door and take them out once a day or so to the green bin.  I wound up with two for some reason from the previous owner.  I put plastic, glass, and aluminum together and put paper in a paper bag on top.  I only use the 2nd bin after parties or if I miss a couple of collections.

[DTowner]

After receiving my letter notifying of my new schedule, I had to calendar the dates for the rest of the year (it was much easier for me to simply remember the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month).  Yesterday I dutifully took my container to the curb.  Last night when I got home from work it was still full.  I left it out because sometimes in the past it hasn't been picked up until the evening.  Well, I left it out overnight and it got soaked in the rain.  This morning I had to drag the soggy mess back to garage.  At lunch, I go home and see that all the containers of the lazy people who left theirs by street are now empty. 

So far I'm underwhelmed with the new contractor and the new pickup schedule.

[Conan71]

There's a lot of full bins sitting at the curb in my hood at 5:15 and this was our new day...hmmm wonder if the contractor got word of that

[Hoss]

There's a lot of full bins sitting at the curb in my hood at 5:15 and this was our new day...hmmm wonder if the contractor got word of that

My contractor just left at 6:15...big white lookin' trash truck but clean.  Guys wearing orange safety vests and looked respectable.  See if I can track down a photo of the truck from my webcam archive...

EDIT:

Here you go...sorry for the glare.

[BKDotCom]

On the topic of recycling....
Where can paper grocery bags be recycled..
And why doesn't a certain grocery store that uses paper bags have a recycle bin for em?

[RecycleMichael]

Paper bags are difficult to recycle...my advice is to find a way to reuse them or compost them. I have cloth bags I take to the store, but sometimes I get plastic bags for groceries. I bought a small trash can that the plastic grocery bags are the perfect size to use as a liner.

I am very impressed with the new contractor. Be patient with them and I am sure they will do a great job.

They have already invested more money into recycling collection and processing than the old contractor did in eleven years. They have great experience in picking up recycleables in both bins and carts in other cities and are willing to pony up some help in recycling education.

[Townsend]

City of Tulsa gets up to 350 complaints on curbside recycling service


http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100611_11_0_Tulsas962951

Tulsa's switch in curbside recycling collection contractors at the start of June resulted in some customers being missed during the first cycle of service on 10 collection routes.

Up to 350 complaints were received by the Mayor's Action Center and Utility Customer Service Call Centers.

RR Waste Solutions, the new contractor, has brought in extra trucks and workers to catch up and assist while the employees familiarize themselves with the routes. Public Works managers will continue to work with the new contractor to ensure customer service.

The firm's contract with the city calls for collections to be made every two weeks instead of twice monthly. That will result in two additional pickups per year for each of Tulsa's 14,000 curbside recycling customers.

Curbside recycling is a voluntary service. Tulsa trash customers may subscribe for $2 per month and are provided with green bins for their recyclable materials.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100611_11_0_Tulsas962951

[PepePeru]

they never came by to pick up my recycling on my scheduled day.

i knew i should have called the mayor's action line and been #351...

You'd think that someone would make sure these people are up to the task before awarding a contract....