Recycling Kiosks

[DolfanBob]

Ok RM. What are your thoughts about these things ? We have one in front of the Reasors that I shop at.

http://www.newson6.com/global/story.asp?s=12769092

[Mike 01Hawk]

Seems like a waste of electricity and time to me.

Just between me and my wife,  I have to drive to the recycle dump on elm twice a month with a trunk load of recyclables.  I'm not going to waste my time spoon feeding a shredding machine for some dinky rewards.

[RecycleMichael]

I think they are great. It will just encourage more people to recycle, especially if Reasors has some good rewards offered for enough points.

If Oklahoma ever really considers a bottle deposit/redemption law, these machines could also spit out nickels.

[Hoss]

I think they are great. It will just encourage more people to recycle, especially if Reasors has some good rewards offered for enough points.

If Oklahoma ever really considers a bottle deposit/redemption law, these machines could also spit out nickels.

I can remember when I was younger (elementary school; early/mid seventies) my mom taking bottles up to the grocery store (Red Bud at Adm/Mingo..now the center of that God-forsaken flea market mess) to get deposits on.

[DolfanBob]

I think they are great. It will just encourage more people to recycle, especially if Reasors has some good rewards offered for enough points.

If Oklahoma ever really considers a bottle deposit/redemption law, these machines could also spit out nickels.

Mike. What happened to Oklahoma and the bottle deposit ?
I used to collect those things, dirt clods and all from trash cans, ditches etc. That was my TG&Y candy money.

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

Pro:  It encourages recycling and helps a good cause
Con:  It only does aluminum cans and plastic bottles and it is not as convenient as curb side recycling or going to MET recycle center.

Currently I put my glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper out for curb side recycling and I take my books and cardboard to MET recycle center.  I take my old printer cartridges, batteries, and electronics to Best Buy to recycle. http://www.bestbuy.com/recycle

I have said it once and I will keep saying it:  Tulsa needs to get on board with RecycleBank  http://www.recyclebank.com/

[Conan71]

Mike. What happened to Oklahoma and the bottle deposit ?
I used to collect those things, dirt clods and all from trash cans, ditches etc. That was my TG&Y candy money.

Those were the returnable bottles that the bottlers would re-use to re-sell product.  I remember the return racks next to soda machines.  And yes, that was our TG&Y money or Steve's Sundries money   Great memories!

The bottle deposits in other states are for recyclables and aren't a reward from the bottler for returning them, far as I know.  One of the funnier Seinfeld episodes was Newman and Kramer hi-jacking a mail truck to take bottles and cans to Michigan on a money-making scheme.

[RecycleMichael]

We never got a hearing on the deposit law in the legislature. We died in committee for the sixth or seventh time int he last two decades.

I thought we had a chance this time. The glass bottle industry hired a lobbyist and we had republicans author the bill. Unfortuinately, the beer and soft drink industry got together with the convenience store lobbyist and killed us dead again. Maybe the machines will make them feel differently in the future.

I like RecycleBank as well. I am friends with the guys who started it in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, they charge a premium. The cost to Tulsa trash customers would be over $500,000 a year. That is just not practical at this time.

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

I like RecycleBank as well. I am friends with the guys who started it in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, they charge a premium. The cost to Tulsa trash customers would be over $500,000 a year. That is just not practical at this time.

Hopefully it will be practical soon.  Tulsa needs to charge more for normal trash service, make it once a week, and charge by weight.  They also need to make recycling manditory with weekly pickup.

[Gaspar]

How do you make recycling mandatory?

[custosnox]

How do you make recycling mandatory?

city ordinance

[Gaspar]

city ordinance

Let me rephrase. . .How do you enforce?

[Hoss]

Let me rephrase. . .How do you enforce?

I don't think you can.  If there was a way to impose a penalty on the utility bill, though, it might empower people to start thinking about doing it.

[OpenYourEyesTulsa]

I don't think you can.  If there was a way to impose a penalty on the utility bill, though, it might empower people to start thinking about doing it.

You can't unless you have full time officers writing tickets for recycling and trash violations like they do in NYC.  What I was more implying with my "manditory" comment was to charge everyone for recycling and give everyone bins.  If you would rather only use trash you can but you will be charged more for having more weight in trash.

I don't think it is right that I have to pay the same as my neighbors with 18 kids that trash everything when I am 1 guy that recycles 80% or more of my trash.

[RecycleMichael]

Recycling is only mandatory in a couple of places in America. They usually make the trash guy be the initial enforcer. If he sees a milk jug or a soda can on top of the trash, he is instructed to leave all the trash on the curb. When the person complains about the missed trash, the city would explain the violation.

It just makes the non-recyclers hide their bottles and cans in the middle.

Mandatory pay is found in the vast majority of places that offer recycling and trash services. It is just included in the bill and the single charge covers all solid waste services, trash collection, recycling collection hazardous waste, tire and e-waste collection events or facilities, green waste sites and litter cleanup.

Some cities also include services like roadside mowing and graffiti removal in this single line on a utility bill.