FALL START FOR CITY RECYCLING; OPEN HOUSE ON TAP AT RECYCLING CENTER

Cape Girardeau residents will be asked to cooperate in a curbside-pickup recycling program this fall.

"The program won't be mandatory," said Doug Kaminskey, environmental services coordinator for the city, "but we're hoping for good participation by the city's residents."

The city is already recycling materials at a recycling center at 120 N. Broadview on the former Stovall Block Co. property, which was recently purchased by the city.

"Things are working out well there," Kaminskey said this week. "We have markets for glass and plastic items. Sales of newspaper and cardboard items are a bit slow now."

The public will have an opportunity to see the new center in action Saturday.

An open house, sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the city, will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"This will be a great opportunity for people to see how the operation works," said Kaminskey. "We'll be baling paper, shredding plastic, and preparing glass and other items for market. We'll be available to answer any recycling questions."

When the curbside pickup recycling program starts, residents will be asked to separate their trash, said Kaminskey.

"We'll still provide the twice-a-week trash pickup," he said. "But, one of the days will be designated for picking up the recyclables newspapers, glass, plastics. The second-day pickup will be for the remaining wastes."

The recyclable paper items include dry newspapers no magazines and cardboard boxes if they are flattened. No cereal boxes will be accepted.

"When the curbside program starts, we ask that paper be wrapped in plastic bags during rainy weather," he said.

Glass items should be washed. As to plastics, only plastic containers with recycling logos will be accepted. "The lids or caps (on glass or plastic containers) should be removed," said Kaminskey.

"These rules also apply to materials, which are brought to the center," he added.

The center is currently open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The city's efforts are part of a program designed to comply with the new solid waste laws, which call for solid wastes to be reduced by 40 percent in landfills by 1998.

"The household waste program is only a small portion of that 40 percent," said Kaminskey. "But, it all helps in reducing the landfill load.

He said that even with 35 to 40 percent participation by the city's residents, the program could cut the landfill load by as much as 6 to 10 percent.

Tires, batteries, appliances, and waste oil were banned from landfills in January of this year in accordance with the new Missouri law.

At present, the city is working with some recycling companies in Illinois to take care of part of that problem.

State regulations call for grass, leaves and brush to be banned from landfills by January of 1992, and in 1994, hazardous wastes from households aerosol and hair spray cans will be banned.

"We'll continue to pick up leaves as in the past," said Kaminskey, "but they can pose a problem. We'll have to compost them before placing them in the landfill. One of the problems with leaves is that they won't decompose." Last year, the city picked up more than 1,600 truck loads of leaves.

"Cape is like other cities, which are struggling to comply with the regulations," said Kaminskey. "It's a difficult task but the public has been educated on waste problems and will be a big help in our efforts, and I think we can do it."