No curb appeal: Nichols Hills rejects recycling plan

One metro-area community has said “no” to a recycling proposal while another city is saying “Not yet.”

Based on results from a survey of Nichols Hills residents, city leadership decided recently to reject a proposal from a national recycling company to collect discarded items from city residences and haul them away for recycling, City Manager Shane Pate said.

In Bethany, meanwhile, city officials are seeking to form a residents’ committee that will be asked to examine various recycling possibilities and make a recommendation to the city council.

Nichols Hills

The proposal to Nichols Hills was made by Republic Services, a private company that performs recycling services for other cities, Pate said.

Had it been adopted, the recycling operation would have added $27.50 a month to all Nichols Hills residents’ utility bills, Pate said. Workers would collect items for recycling from behind residents’ homes and bring them to the curb, where they would be loaded into collection vehicles and hauled away to be recycled.

Residents were polled about the proposal through the city’s website, Pate said, and the

response was overwhelmingly negative.

“It was pretty clear that people didn’t like the high fee, and the mandatory nature of it,” Pate said. Responses came through phone calls to city hall, emails and surveys returned to city hall.

“There were lots of strong views on it,” Pate said.

Based on the response, he said, the city’s Environment, Health and Sustainability Committee has recommended that the proposal from Republic Services not be pursued.

“We are open to things in the future, but right now we’re just sitting on it,” Pate said. “That’s my directive, at least with respect to that proposal.”

Nichols Hills residents who wish to recycle certain items currently can take them to two disposal bins placed within the city by Goodwill Industries, Pate said. The location of the recycling bins will be available soon on the city’s website, he said.

Items that can be recycled include steel and tin cans, aluminum, wire hangers, clothes, plastic and newspapers.

Bethany

In Bethany, city leaders are hoping to find volunteers to serve on a seven-member committee that will look into recycling possibilities for the city.

Nikki Phipps, Bethany public relations director, said that once the committee is formed, it will look at Oklahoma City’s recycling system, automation and any other possible ways to institute recycling within the city.

“We had anticipated (the committee) would be formed by now,” Phipps said. “We hope people who are passionate about this will apply.”

She said that an application to serve on the recycling committee can be downloaded from the city’s website.

In the meantime, Bethany residents can take items to be recycled to Bethany’s public works facility at 5300 N Central Ave.

Phipps said the recycling bins can be used only when staff is present, from 7 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“We want to look at something that’s more convenient,” she said.