Cape's recycling

Two months have passed since Cape Girardeau began its new trash and recycling system at the beginning of May, and statistics for the first full month contain some encouraging indications.

In that first month, residents were encouraged to do a simple separating process by putting recyclable material -- papers, plastic, cardboard, tin cans, aluminum -- in one container and trash in another. They also were encouraged to take glass to a fire station or the public works building on Southern Expressway.

So how did it go?

In May, recycling was up significantly. A total of 139 tons of recyclable material was collected, an increase of 58 tons. Trash collections dropped by 56 tons. This meant the city saved a bit on landfill fees and received some revenue for the recyclables.

Before the new single-stream recycling system started, residents interested in voluntarily recycling had to do a lot of sorting. Now, glass is the only item that has to be kept separate, and it's up to residents to haul the glass.

So how did that go?

The city filled three semitrailer loads of glass in May, up from one load in April.

Way to go, Cape Girardeau.