Oh where, oh where, does our recycling go?
Published 12:52 pm Wednesday, September 28, 2022
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Editor’s Note: Welcome to Get It Together {GIT} Americus, an occasional column about community issues, written by Americus taxpayer and journalist Bethany Greeley. Every effort is made to work with available facts, reporting in a balanced and fair fashion. The Americus Times-Recorder encourages readers to send their feedback and questions for future columns to GITAMERICUS@gmail.com GET IT, Americus?
By: Bethany Greeley
One of the many great questions annoying Americus homeowners.
Fifty plus years ago, widespread recycling began in the US; to reduce pollution and save production and energy costs.
However, the city of Americus does not recycle the waste we leave curbside in small green bins every Friday, according to Sustainable Sumter, a local nonprofit community action group.
If this is true, why separate our recycling and pay for a special Friday collection, only to have it t rucked like the rest of the week’s garbage, to the McMath Mill Transfer Station in Americus?
At a public meeting last month, Sustainable Sumter announced it had arranged for residents who want to recycle and reduce landfill waste, “to bring your recycling items to Amerigreen.” Amerigreen is just off Brady Road near Walmart .
But wait! We already pay the City of Americus $27 a month to contract for pick-up of yard waste, solid waste and our recycling, so why should we drive to Amerigreen?
According to the City’ s contract with Advanced Disposal Services of Macon, “Contractor agrees to provide once a week voluntary curbside recycling service,” in supplied 18-gall on recycling bins to citizens who voluntarily subscribe.”Psst…Are those little green containers really 18-gallon?
In effect since 2007, renewed and amended every three years, the contract specifies recyclable solid waste is to be delivered to Synergy Solutions of Crisp County in Cordele, self- described as, “a technologically advanced renewable energy company committed to environment al sound waste management.”
The contract also states, ” the re cycling market is subject to change,” and “either party may agree to discontinue service upon 90 calendar days’ notice from the cancelling party to the other party.” No official notifications regarding changes in recycling services from either city or contractor are on file.
Getting It Together respectfully requests representatives of Advanced Disposal Services appear at an upcoming City Council meeting, to address the recycling port ion of our contract. The City Council maintains it has not seen the contract. Get It Together obtained a copy through an open records request. By the way, do city government offices recycle?
If all of Americus’ solid waste is dumped in landfills, isn’t our voluntarily residential recycling just pretend, a charade?
Americus, if we want to recycle, let’s Get It Together.
