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I know some towns near Buffalo tried this and I believe are still doing it. Here's an article from Waste News from July 1999, on the Subject. CRYSTAL-CLEAR SOLUTION: VILLAGE IN NEW YORK ENCOURAGES RECYCLING BY HAVING RESIDENTS USE CLEAR PLASTIC BAGS By: Robert Bryce July 12, 1999 HAMBURG, N.Y. -- Sanitation officials in the village of Hamburg believe the clearest way to encourage their residents to recycle is simple: Make them use clear trash bags. On June 1, the town began enforcing an ordinance that prohibits dark trash bags and mandates that all residential solid waste be placed in clear bags.Village officials began contemplating the move after noticing a drop in recycling rates. ``We saw a fair amount of recyclables in the garbage. But enforcement is difficult, particularly with the dark brown, black or green bags, because you can't see what's inside,'' said Gerald E. Knoll, Hamburg's public works superintendent. Hamburg is one of several municipalities in the Buffalo area that have banned dark trash bags. The town of Cheektowaga, which has 100,000 residents, banned dark bags more than a decade ago to ensure that citizens did not put paint cans or other hazardous materials into their garbage. Having a contaminant-free waste stream is particularly important for municipalities such as Cheektowaga that use incinerators for disposal. ``If residents are trying to dispose of things that aren't supposed to be in the incinerator, it's easier to spot them if you are using clear plastic bags,'' said Christopher Kowal, Cheektowaga's superintendent of highways. Although Hamburg is concerned about keeping contaminants out of the incinerator, the village's main goal in requiring the clear bags is to ensure that its recycling rates remain high. The city estimates that it recycles 71 percent of its solid waste. Hamburg, a village of 10,000, began curbside recycling in 1981, making its program one of the oldest in the nation. But in recent years, city officials noticed that citizens became complacent. In the months leading up to the new policy, the Public Works Department worked hard to make residents aware of the switch to clear bags. Initial compliance has been excellent. During the first two weeks of the program, the compliance rate has been about 99 percent, Knoll said. And the amount of recyclable materials has increased slightly since the program went into effect. ``When there's a change in a program, there's always some resistance and questions. But once you get a chance to explain it, people comply,'' Knoll said. Dan De Grassi wrote: I'm seeking information on the use of clear or translucent bags for refuse collection, examples of any jurisdictions that require the use of clear/translucent bags as a means of facilitating recycling or facilitating the enforcement of mandatory recycling (or conversely, disposal bans of recyclables) by being able to spot recyclables mixed in with trash. Or examples of places that may not require such bags, but promote their use. Opinions and other pontifications on the concept welcome. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "GreenYes" group. To post to this group, send email to GreenYes@no.address To unsubscribe from this group, send email to GreenYes-unsubscribe@no.address For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/GreenYes -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~--- |
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