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{
THINK O U T S I D E THE DUMPSTER } |
| Answers to commonly asked questions about Portland’s new residential recycling system, to be introduced May-July 2008. |
GENERAL
QUESTIONS |
|
BLUE
CART (MIXED RECYCLING) |
|
PLASTICS |
GREEN
CART (YARD DEBRIS) |
|
| Why is the current system changing? |
| Faced
with a growing waste stream, a stalled recycling rate and concerns
about energy use and global warming, the Portland City Council set the following goals for Portland’s waste and recycling system: |
|
| Roll carts have been used in many cities with beneficial results – increased volume of recyclables by residents, no need for source separation except glass, ease of hauling wheeled carts (versus bins) to the curb by residents for pick up, and better containment of recyclables during windy and bad weather. A pilot project in Portland in the summer of 2007 (involving more than 2,000 households) was very successful, with an overwhelming majority of participants finding the roll cart system a significant improvement. City Council adopted the Portland Recycles! Plan following the successful pilot project results. |
| When will my new roll carts be delivered? |
| The new blue recycling roll carts and green yard debris carts will be delivered in the springand summer of 2008, between early May and late July. Your garbage and recycling company will notify you --- weeks in advance of the delivery. |
| Will my monthly bill increase with this new system? |
| The cost of residential service is likely to increase by about 10 percent, or $2.60 a month for standard service. By recycling more, your household may be able to switch to a lower-cost service by reducing the size of your garbage can or going to less frequent collection, and your savings could offset the cost increase. |
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| Are the roll carts coming from the garbage company or the City? |
| The garbage and recycling company will be purchasing and delivering the carts to their customers. The City will be providing specifications for the carts so that they are uniform throughout the City. |
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| Will I receive a cart for garbage too? |
| No. You will continue to use your own garbage can or container that you already have. |
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| Will roll carts impact how much recycling is collected in the City? How much greenhouse gas pollution will this prevent? |
| Changing to the blue recycling and green yard debris roll carts is expected to result in up to a 33% increase in residential recycling or 25,000 new tons recycled. The current estimate is that the existing Portland residential recycling program already saves nearly 250,000 tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to keeping 35,000 cars off the road each year. The new recycling tons that will be collected will increase these CO2 savings by up to 10%. |
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| Does the paper I put out at the curb go to China? |
| Only
a small amount of curbside recycling is exported to Asian countries,
including China. More than 80% of recyclables collected from the curb
is paper. For newsprint, 5.5% is exported. For all paper grades (newspaper,
office paper, scrap paper, etc), 11.6% is exported (88.4% stays in the NW region). Keeping glass on the side adds to our material quality. Oregon’s recycled paper is cleaner because we keep glass out of the mix. |
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| If I have additional questions specific to my home, who should I contact? |
| Contact your garbage and recycling company to determine how best to handle a specific or unique situation. One example may be residents with long driveways who usually transport the yellow bins in their cars. We suggest continuing to use the yellow bins to bring recycling down to the roll cart if it is kept at the end of your driveway. |
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| Are there people going door-to-door talking about the carts or changes to recycling? |
| Yes, in some neighborhoods there are volunteers going door-to-door prior to the roll carts being delivered. They will have name badges, carry ID, and will not enter homes. |
BLUE
CART (MIXED RECYCLING) |
| What will I be able to put in the new blue recycling roll cart? |
| You can put all the recyclables you currently put in your yellow bins into the roll cart, except glass. In addition, you can put plastic tubs such as yogurt and margarine containers, small plastic buckets and plastic nursery pots into the new cart. The only item we would ask you to continue to put in a paper bag before placing in the cart is shredded paper due to litter issues. However, you’ll still need to keep glass on the side in a yellow bin. |
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| Is it really okay for me to mix all my recyclables together? With all the mixing of materials, how can I be sure what I’m putting out for collection is actually getting recycled? |
| It’s no longer necessary to sort materials for curbside collection, except glass. The company that picks up your recycling takes it to a facility where it is sorted effectively. The facilities that process these mixed materials are designed to effectively separate them. Over 95% of what Portlanders set out for recycling gets recycled; the remainder is material that shouldn’t have been set out in the first place or was set out incorrectly (for example, glass breaks when it gets mixed in with other recyclables, making some of the material difficult to process). |
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| Will the roll carts be easy for me to move? |
| Yes,
the 60-gallon-capacity roll carts all have large wheels to make them
easy for most people to roll to the curb. You can place the cart at
the curb whenever it is comfortably full for you. However, with approval
from the City, and under certain conditions, disabled customers could have their garbage and recycling carts brought to the curb by the garbage and recycling company at no additional charge. |
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| What are the actual dimensions of the carts? |
| The
dimensions may vary depending on which vendor the hauler chooses to
use when ordering their containers. Generally, the size of the roll
cart will have the following maximum dimensions: Height 43" (3’ 7”) Depth 31.5" (2’ 7.5”) Width 27.5" (2’ 3.5”) Please contact Trashco Services if you need more specific information about the carts. |
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| What if the cart is too large for my needs? Can I get a smaller one? |
| Everyone will receive the new blue and green 60-gallon carts. Residents in other communities that have changed to the large roll carts have found that the larger roll cart size provides added capacity and convenience by customers not having to place carts out weekly. However, after a 30 day trial period, if you have any questions or concerns about the use of the roll carts, including concerns about physical barriers, call your garbage and recycling company. Due to the weight of yard debris and the cart strength required to contain it, the green carts are not available in a smaller size. |
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| Can a homeowner, select NOT to receive the large roll carts and simply continue using the yellow bins? |
| No; the new roll carts replace the bin system, and have been adopted by City Council as Portland’s program. Careful study and the pilot project show the system to be beneficial to residents, garbage and recycling companies and the environment, and we believe that with very little adjustment, residents will find it an easier and more convenient system overall. |
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| What should I do with my yellow bins when the new roll carts are delivered? |
| Customers should keep one of their yellow recycling bins to use for glass recycling; the city will provide a sticker designating it as a glass bin. You are welcome to keep the second one for your own use. We will also provide information about garbage and recycling company pick up and/or drop off depots if you would like your yellow bin recycled or reused. |
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PLASTICS |
| What additional plastics can now be included? |
| Before,
the only plastics you could place in the bins were plastics with a
neck. In your new blue roll cart, you can now recycle additional plastics
such as yogurt and margarine containers (6 oz. or larger) plant and
nursery pots (4 inches or larger) and buckets (5 gallons or less),
like the ones used for kitty litter or mop buckets. Do not include plastic bags, lids such as those found on water or soda bottles or on yogurt containers, foam or meat trays, large items (e.g., toys, lawn furniture, and storage crates),Portland Recycles! FAQ April 2008 4 plastic trays, clamshells and bakery containers, food contaminated items, biodegradable plastics (such as “PLA”), cups, plates, silverware, blister packaging, or any plastics with a capacity of less than 6 ounces even if these plastics have a recycle symbol or number at the bottom. |
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| What about plastic bags? Can I recycle them in the cart? |
| No, plastic bags are not accepted at all in curbside recycling. You can still recycle plastic bags at neighborhood collection points, such as a grocery stores or recycling centers. To reduce the number of plastic bags you end up with, try switching to durable, reusable bags (available to buy at most grocery stores) for your trips to the store. |
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GREEN
CART (YARD DEBRIS) |
| Will anything change with the materials accepted in the green yard debris cart? Can I put food waste in the green cart now? |
| No. You will continue to put only yard debris in the green cart, including weeds, leaves, vines, grass clippings, tree trimmings, fruit and vegetables from your garden, or pumpkins. Adding food waste from your kitchen to the material in the green yard debris cart is Phase 2 of the Portland Recycles! Plan and will not start for a few years. |
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| Why can’t I get a smaller green cart as well? |
| There is not an option for a smaller cart for yard debris because the weight of those materials would break a smaller cart. The 60-gallon size is the only choice available. Homeowners can choose to have the garbage and recycling company take away their green cart if they would rather not have the green cart due to size, or if they have a lawn service provide yard service at their home. |
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| Will residents who already use 60-gallon yard debris containers still receive yard debris carts? Also, what happens to all of the containers currently in use? Is it upon the residents to dispose of them? |
| Customers that currently subscribe to the 60-gallon yard debris cart will keep the cart they have, and their rate will change to reflect that service now being part of the base rate.Customers who currently use non-roll cart yard debris containers (either plastic or metal) that they no longer want to keep will receive instructions on recycling and/or drop-off opportunities. You can continue to use it for overflow yard debris, but the new green roll cart must be used first. |
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| If I don’t get yard debris service or opt out of yard debris, do I get a decrease in my rates? |
| No. The $2.60 includes the yard debris cart too. There is no way to opt out of either cart, so you can't lower your bill by returning the blue or green cart. |
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| My yard debris is picked up a different day than my garbage and recycling. Will that change? |
| No. Residents will receive an updated yard debris calendar in May, but there will not be any changes on it. If haulers decide to make a schedule change, residents are informed of this through correspondence by the hauler. |
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