OPINION (2013): Binnies breakdown shows need for contingency, expanded recycling services
Written by Greta Hyland
It might be time for Washington County to seek out grants for a recycling plant, or to sign a contract with Allied Waste to provide countywide recycling services.
While the Washington County recycling bins have been a big success, they are hardly enough for the growing and consistent use by citizens. And now that a broken part has put out of commission the only truck that empties the recycling bins in the county, it is clear this county not only did not anticipate the demand and support for a real recycling program here, but it also did not plan for contingencies; three weeks for a part is unacceptable and would never fly in any other circumstance dealing with waste or human health.
Many might see the slow response time on this issue as evidence that county officials do not see the program as a priority. Many residents who have relocated to Washington County came from states where municipalities provided or required recycling and not only got used to it, but liked it. Many of those same residents also see recycling as an ethical and moral thing to do, knowing that consumption of plastic, glass and metal produces tons of waste that could be reused instead of going into a landfill.
Anyone who has gone to the recycling bins can see how much waste is accumulated and get a small sense of how much waste we produce. To now have to throw that trash into a bag and send it to the landfill may make conscientious individuals feel like they’re doing something morally wrong.
For the county not to have contingency plans and extra parts – or at least the ability to get parts overnight – shows a glaring disconnect between the service they are providing and the citizens dependent on it.
Officials stated that offering curbside pickup would require heavy subsidies for this county because of the dispersed population, but there may be an answer. Allied Waste provides curbside recycling pickup for communities with enough neighborhood support to do so. Karen Jorgensen, a local resident who used to live here, went around her neighborhood collecting signatures from people to get the necessary numbers to implement curbside recycling pickup; however, local citizens should not be the only ones to bear the burden of instigating curbside recycling. The county should be helping and ensuring that citizens get what they need.
It seems to me that Washington County could work out a contract with Allied Waste to provide this service without the heavy subsidies keeping them from providing it on their own, then the people will have the service they want, a company will get the business it deserves, and Washington County will be taking care of its citizens the way it should. If something like that is not possible, the least they could do is ensure consistent service with extra parts, trucks and contingencies.
