One thing that seems odd is that the City specifies clear tape. I’ve always used black electrical tape. I wonder why they care?

I do think the City should have a free CF bulb recycle bin somewhere convenient (South Industrial doesn’t count). But CF bulbs will only be around for a couple more years before they are replaced by LEDs, which are far less toxic and more efficient.

Taping batteries is a problem, but there are easier ways to encapsulate the electrodes, dipping the ends in old paint is one. Any method would need federal approval — I won’t hold my breath on that one.

Lorie, would you share some details of Ypsi’s program that you favor?

Further, I live in the Village. Its a game that has cost us all more than $130 in “trash enclosures” with the new cans (along with hauling them to designated spots down the block)…this will require we get a new design, and get charged again only more for the new stuff.

I’m getting tired of game involved here. We recycle – but Ypsilanti does this much better without all the mandated requirements on its residents.

Stop putting the burden on us for this. We have too much infrastructure and “administration” involved as it is.

That’s a leap, Cosmonican. I’ll be confrontational again and ask you for suggestions. :-)

My understanding and experience (and apparently yours with your neighbor) is that they aren’t. My guess is that many people don’t recycle all materials that are collected at the curb.

“the monetary incentives are either meaningless or encourage one to use more materials”

I can’t imagine why someone would buy more than they need of any product in order to recycle it or the container it came in. A shift from a non-recyclable material to one that is collected, yes, which would be a positive behavioral change. On the other hand, I can imagine having an incentive to pick up the plastic water bottles, etc. that I see around town in order to get (at least partial) credit for recycling them.

“Why would people be paid to recycle in years when recyclables are piling up in storage yards?”

As you know, not all materials sell for the same price. Any materials temporarily stored are eventually sold in most cases. The Recycle Bank credits certainly wouldn’t be set at a level that would exceed the revenues. If materials were landfilled, that would of course be a different matter. Even if a material were to have a long period of no market, possibly resulting in some amount being landfilled for economic reasons, changing the rules for which materials are collected might be confusing to participants and therefore counterproductive in the long run. That’s just one consideration.

I’ll try to get answers to the questions in the 3rd paragraph of #10 next week at the working session.

“Is this being driven by the solid waste committee and is that still chaired by an employee of RRSI?”

No and yes, respectively. The committee was aware that this program was in the works, but we haven’t met in many months (primarily due to the chair’s involvement as chair of the HRIMP committee for the last year-plus. I’m the only other non-councilmember committee member and this wasn’t on my radar until David Stead, the committee chair, mentioned it at our last commission meeting.)

“I’m also concerned about the nod to expanding our program to take in other communities and paying for it by reducing our trash pickup routes.”

I’m not sure that that’s an accurate interpretation. As Dave noted in the article, increased volumes of recyclables results in less trash to collect.

“We then become a player in a regional market rather than merely attempting to serve our own residents and businesses.”

I don’t favor this either for a number of reasons, but I don’t anticipate my input alone changing that path.

I remember recycling bins along Pauline for newspapers, meant for people in the apartments near there. If we had bins for bulbs, batteries, and other electronics available around town, then I would have no gripe.

Taping batteries is a federal mandate. But if I was you, I would rather tape the kids, dip the batteries in the old paint, then toss them in a convenient bin (not the kids of course). Batteries should be recycled of course, but it should be as easy as it is to buy them. The toxins, and rare earth elements in these things will make them more valuable in the future as demand grows.

The mercury in the fluorescent tubes is too dangerous to be treated lightly, and as these bulbs become more common, if not mandatory, the problem will get worse. If you break an old thermometer in your house, the fire department will practically condemn the place, yet we will have garbage trucks driving past playgrounds leaking the stuff. It seems the city has decided to ignore these concerns in order to make a few bucks; maybe we should change our Japanese sister city from Hikone to Minimata, it may soon be more appropriate.