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This is
the waste reduction forum.
Please
write us with your questions, comments, experiences, philosophies and
practical tips. Also send us photos of your compost piles or even your
pets!
We're at recycle@cityofsitka.com
Hi Krisanne, – I had my troll gurdies recently rebuilt. As
a result, I have about 50-75 lbs of bronze parts left over. Is there a
place to recycle this metal? Dan
Morning, Dan. – YES! The city loves bronze. The
recycling efforts are located out at the old millsite on the left, past the
mill just before you hit the bridge. Eric is there Tuesday - Saturday, 8-4
pm. Raven Radio's news story this morning reported that Lord Baranof's
missing bronze eyes are valued at $2000, I should think your bronze gurdie
parts will be very valuable. A question for you...do you think we need to
promote scrap metal recycling more? Do many people simply toss metal parts?
Thanks for your support. Krisanne Rice
Hello,
Could you tell me more about your use of the crushed glass? Up here in Fairbanks, we're trying to find uses for the glass and want to
know how uccessfully it is being used for fill, etc.Thank you, Fred Calef
III.
Thank you Fred for your interest in crushed glass.
Currently, Sitka is stockpiling all crushed glass. Public Works will be
using it for aggregate fill at some point in the future.Brian Bergman,
Superintendent of Public Works is one to contact at brian@cityofsitka.com.
Brian can give you more details about the crusher challenges, and potential
uses. As of April 30, we have recovered about 75 tons of glass since a year
ago March. The program got off to a slow start, beginning with 1 ton of
glass recovered / month. In March 04, nearly 8 tons were recovered. We hope
to encourage all people to keep glass out of the waste stream in the
future.krisanne Rice RRR Coordinator
We have heard rumors about
recycling tin cans indicating that the lined cans aren't to be recycled. By
lined we mean the kind that have white
insides like tomato sauce
cans. Do we or don't we recycle tomato product cans and other lined cans?
Thanks,
You are correct. Tomato paste / sauce
tin cans have a wax-based white (sometimes tan) lining to prohibit rust.
Wax does contaminate a load so cans containing tomato based products should
go in the trash.
A few cans here and there won't
contaminate a crushed bale of tin, but many wax-lined cans will. If
you inadvertently toss one in the recycle bin, there is no need to jump in
to dig it out!
Thanks for the question and thanks
for recycling!
Krisanne Rice
RRR Coordinator
Do things
like cereal boxes (thin, laminated cardboard) go with mixed paper or with
corrugated cardboard?
Cathy
Cathy,
Cardboard consists of corrugated
cardboard only. Look for the wavy center section and if it's there, consider
it corrugated.Everything else, except newspaper, should go in the mixed
paper bin.
This is a change from earlier policy
and should lessen confusion as to "what goes where."Thank you for
your interest and support of recycling!
Krisanne Rice
RRR Coordinator
Krisanne,
Just to let
you know, as of Sunday night the mixed paper dumpster is totally plugged.
Larry
Larry,
Thanks for the information. The mixed
paper bin is checked on Friday's by Straiger Sanitation to see how full it
is. I also try and check it. If it's over 3/4 full, it is hauled away, if
not, the pick-up is planned for Monday. We think 1/4 bin is sufficient
space for household use over the weekend. What happens, I suspect, is that
a larger producer of waste recycles their mixed paper on the week-end,
thereby filling up the bin more quickly than anticipated. Straiger
Engineering, city staff and I are trying to trouble-shoot this wrinkle in
the system.Thanks for holding your mixed paper until the bin is emptied,
your patience and your support of the recycling efforts!
Krisanne Rice
RRR Coordinator
Hi (Will,
Krisanne, Jim?):
I listened
to most of the Trash Talk show on Raven Radio last night, and then stopped
at the recycling containers this morning during my morning walk. I think there is still a fair
amount of confusion about what constitutes cardboard vs. "mixed
paper." After listening to Trash Talk last night, I thought I heard
that only corrugated cardboard should be placed in the
"cardboard" container. However, during this morning's "site
visit," I saw a sign on the cardboard container that paper towel and
toilet paper cores as well as cereal boxes were considered
"cardboard." Another thought - perhaps for Jim and Krisanne - is
to put an updated explanation in the Sitka Sentinel of what constitutes
cardboard, mixed paper, etc. and make it consistent with signs at the
recycling center. I can't thank you enough for the great job you're doing
on getting RRR off the ground. M.
and I are STRONG supporters of recycling, and I would be happy to help out
if needed.
TH
Thanks so much for your comments. I
appreciate the confusion. I'm hearing two different things from
Rabanco...hope to nail it down next week I'll keep you in mind for help /
brainstorming. What I will need ideas / support is in the not too different
future, the costs of recycling will
have to be examined...the larger volumne producers are going to have
to pay their share ...a bit dicey because people believe if they reduce
their volume, their waste pick-up charges will decrease (true). But
Straiger still has a cost to pick up and process the recyclables...plus the
city has to pay by the ton to ship
south. The city can't eat the shipping costs forever... And...as much as
recycling is good...I'd like to get people to think of the first two R's
first...Reduce, Reuse...then Recycle. More soon and thanks again. Krisanne
Here's some
philosophy:
A tree that produces a thousand flower blossoms is not seen as producing
waste, despite their being many more blossoms than are needed for
reproduction. The blossoms provide beauty to humans, biological value to
the tree and a source of sustenance for other creatures when they fall to
the ground and decay. The same is true for fruit trees. That which is used
by life (us) should not be removed from the life cycle, but used to produce
more life. Then, our waste more resembles flower blossoms and fruit.
What do you
think?
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