RECYCLING EFFORT TO GROW

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- As part of its effort to comply with a new Missouri law that calls for a 40 percent reduction in landfill waste, Cape Girardeau this year likely will implement an ambitious citywide recycling program.

At Monday's City Council meeting, members of the city staff and a citizens' solid-waste committee discussed a proposal to provide curbside recycling pickups throughout the city beginning in October.

The council took no action to authorize the program, but likely will do so.

The program would be implemented in conjunction with the city's weekly solid-waste removal. The only fee increase associated with the program would be to pass on a state-mandated $1.50 surcharge for every ton of waste taken to the city's landfill.

The surcharge would be part of a new Missouri law designed to reduce landfill deposits by 40 percent by 1998. The law requires several measures designed to reduce landfill deposits to be implemented during the next seven years.

Doug Kaminskey, the city's environmental services coordinator, said Monday the new solid-waste and recycling operation would help the city comply with the mandates.

Kaminskey said recyclable waste would be picked up once a week on an established day and other waste would be picked up on another day to avoid potential mixing of the materials. He said public education and cooperation would be vital to any recycling program's success.

"It's going to be essential that we get the community involved," Kaminskey said. "Education is going to be the key to any successful program."

Kaminskey said the program would not impose strict requirements or penalties on residents, but would rely heavily on educational efforts.

"We would like to keep it positive and would like to boost participation by education," he said. "We don't want to put a big burden on everybody."

Kaminskey said the proposal was drafted using information gathered from the city's two pilot recycling programs in Woodland Hills and Meyer subdivisions. The operating costs for the recycling program were estimated using the information from the pilot programs.

To offset some of the recycling costs, the city proposes charging a $5 fee per stop for "Wednesday special" garbage pickups for yard wastes, appliances and other materials not accepted at the landfill.

"We want to make residents aware that people have to be responsible for the trash they're disposing of," Kaminskey said.

It is expected the $5 fee would generate about $21,000 annually to offset the $20,000 to $30,000 estimated landfill costs for "Wednesday specials."

Also, a fee for the use of commercial "lugger" containers is proposed. Current landfill and labor costs for lugger service are about $24,500. A $20 fee for the now free service would generate about $15,500 annually, Kaminskey said.

Mayor Gene Rhodes said he would favor charging those who use lugger containers the full service cost.

Steve Triplett, Cape Girardeau solid-waste coordinator, said donations of equipment and labor would allay much of the expected costs of the recycling program. He said community service groups such as the Cape Girardeau County League of Women Voters would donate much of the labor needed to operate the program. Also, a plastic shredder, forklift, trailer, truck and storage bins have been donated to the Cape Girardeau Recycling Center.

The city has secured markets for aluminum, cardboard, glass, newsprint, plastic and appliances that also would help defray some of the recycling operations costs.

"In recycling, you have to take your markets as they come," said Glenda Quinn of the League of Women Voters. "If you don't have a market, there's no sense collecting it."

Quinn said Cape Girardeau residents are ready for the citywide recycling program.

"People are not only willing to recycle; they'll go to great lengths to do it," she said. "Recycling isn't hard; it just takes time and commitment."