IS THE CITY RECYCLING PROGRAM REALLY WORKING AS IT SHOULD BE?

To the Editor:

I have recently returned from a two week visit in Charlotte County, Florida. During those two weeks I observed trash pick-up procedure by the Charlotte County Sanitation Co. I was so impressed by the organization and manner in which this was done that I just had to share the information.

Each household was given a very informative booklet. Everything was explained in this booklet and it included maps of each vicinity with the days of the week for pick up; details of what is recyclable, what is not, where to get rid of waste motor oil, hazardous waste and white goods ~(used appliances, etc.). Everything is simply stated with numbers to call if there should happen to be any questions. There was also a number to call for special pick up and no extra charge.

Each household was also given a plastic tub into which they could place all of their recyclables. The day for recyclables to be picked up was the second pick up day of the week. At that time all recyclables in the tub are sorted out by the driver. Two trucks are used on this day. One picks up the trash and the other has bins for each type of recyclable material. Newspapers are placed flat underneath the plastic tub. If the weather is inclement, they asked that the residents wait until the next week to put them out. There was even an ad in the paper while I was visiting that directed residents to put their old telephone books on the top of the tub and they picked them up too.

The first pick up day of the week was for trash and yard waste. The yard waste was to be put either in brown paper bags or bundled together with twine (this would be branches, shrub clippings etc.). The trash was picked up both days of the week and was to be placed either in covered trash cans or in plastic bags.

Now, you say "How much does this cost?" It costs $158 per year. Sounds like a lot, but if this is divided up by the month, just a little over $13. It is done well and it is done often enough to please everyone.

My husband and I live in Cape Girardeau and have been recycling for years ... taking what we accumulate to the V.I.P. building at first and then to the Recycle Center, but we only need to do that about once a month.

I wonder if those responsible for Cape Girardeau's trash pick up researched how it is done in other cities. If you did, perhaps you did not check in the right places. If you didn't, perhaps you should have.

I would really like to see the method reviewed or looked at more carefully ... maybe even reconsidered. So many people seem to be unhappy. Go back to twice a week garbage pick up. People in our neighborhood are not putting recyclables out every week. Is it really working the way it stands now?

~~~~~~~~~~~Ann Parkinson

Cape Girardeau