The Pros and 'Con' of Single Stream Recycling

I was happy to learn that , which launched last August, has thus far been a “smashing success.”

According to a recent report from the Waste Disposal and Recycling Division of the , more than 6,220 tons of material was recycled between from when the program launched in August to Dec. 31, an increase of 2,850 tons over the same period in 2010. This in turn saved Greenwich taxpayers over $504,000 in trash disposal costs through December, the report states. What’s more the town has earned more than $108,000 in revenues from the sale of recyclables, up to Jan. 1 — plus it no longer has to pay $900,000 a year for “blue bin” collection. Sounds like great news for Greenwich taxpayers.

I have been making heavy use of the single-stream recycling program . I like the fact that there is a much wider array of items accepted such as aerosol cans, scrap metal and (shhhh—don’t tell the kids) junky plastic toys. Being able to throw everything into the bin in (i.e. without sorting)—such as all junk mail and cardboard—is a great convenience. I have the sticker with the list of all the things you can recycle stuck on the corner of the refrigerator.

But there’s something that still bothers me. Maybe I’m embarrassingly late to the party with this gripe but I feel like the town gypped me into getting less service for the same cost. Here’s why: Before single stream recycling went into effect, my residence was serviced three times a week — twice by my privately contracted trash service and once by the town’s blue bin pick up. But when single stream recycling went into effect, my trash hauler took over the recycling duty and I essentially lost a pick up day for trash. And I still cut my private hauler the same check every month.

“Pretty neat trick the town pulled huh?” a friend said when the program first went into effect. I didn't realize what he meant until a few weeks later. What was a free public service has become a private paid service. But hey, you get the convenience of not having to drag the blue bin to the curbside.

I’ve been getting along OK with just the one day of trash pick up, so far. But I can't say that there’s been that much of a shift in our household waste from “trash” to “recycle” to say “OK I see the value of the single stream recycling program.” Supposedly we should be able to recycle up to 80 percent of what we produce … but in reality it’s not working out that way, at least not as per the current list on the fridge (maybe we're just not efficient enough?).

Yes, some weeks the trash bin is overflowing.

I think it should have been made more clear, when the ,  that it was, in effect, a scaling back of service. A flyer that went out just said "your trash hauler will provide details."

And I'm wondering, once the single stream-recycling program reaches its maximum potential, in terms of revenue generation, how much of an impact will it have on the Town budget and local taxes?

Hopefully I didn’t lose that one pick up a week and not benefit from it in some trivial or intangible way.