Mailers note recycling mistakes
LR program aims to reduce residents’ cart contamination
Some customers throughout Little Rock have received information via mail after recycling truck drivers noticed the residents’ curbside carts contained nonrecyclable items, according to the Regional Recycling and Waste Reduction District.
The Little Rock Sustainability Office, which sent out the informational mailers, launched a recycling pilot program Oct. 25 aimed at reducing nonrecyclable contamination in residential customers’ carts, according to a news release by the regional district, whose board of directors establishes policy in Pulaski County.
Recycling contamination has been a constant issue for city and recycling officials.
“Waste Management drivers look for recycling carts that contain contamination,” said Lennie Massanelli, Little Rock’s sustainability officer. “When they observe nonrecyclables like plastic bags visibly in the top of the cart, they will not empty the cart. If, however, they do not see contaminants in the cart before the cart is emptied into the truck, but observe via an onboard camera contaminants while the cart is being emptied, they will record the address. Those are the folks who will receive our informational mailer.”
The district is assisting in the program and also provides information to residential customers on what goes in the curbside cart and what should be left out, according to the news release.
“The most numerous offenders identified as cart contaminants are plastic bags; food and food scraps; clothing; and any item that can tangle or wrap around recycling machinery, including ropes, wire, hoses and the like,” noted Craig Douglass, executive director of the district.
The mailers notify the residential customers that their carts may contain contamination and provide information on basic acceptable items: empty plastic bottles and jugs; paper; cardboard; and empty aluminum, steel and tin cans.
The success of the customer-contact pilot program, which runs through December, will be determined by whether the mailers result in a reduction of cart contamination. Results will be assessed in mid-January.
In addition to the district’s board of directors, a partnership task force made up of the public works directors or sanitation managers of the member governments within the county meets regularly to analyze solid waste issues and make recommendations to the board.