At the Jan 21 public hearing – the first of at least two planned on the topic – residents had a wide range of views about the city’s recently discussed possibility of implementing curbside recycling. Most, however, agreed that an opt-in/opt-out version of the program would be the most desirable.
“I’m in favor of recycling, but some people don’t care about it,” said Stewart Harmon, one of many who spoke at the hearing. A second hearing has been scheduled for the August 18 meeting. “Opt-out gives them the ability to choose.”
Though the North Salt Lake City council is still in the early stages of discussion on the possible curbside recycling program, they handed out an information sheet Tuesday night that showed a $3.50 per-resident cost for mandatory recycling.
There would be a $4 per-resident cost if 25 percent of residents choose to opt-out of the program (an opt-out program starts with everyone signed up for recycling, and gives residents a window to decide if they want to sign out. An opt-in program is the opposite, with everyone starting out and giving residents the chance to sign up).
Some residents voiced concern that the city would be stuck in an opt-out program even if the number of those participating dropped below 75 percent (below that, the price would rise to a 50 percent threshold).
“You guys have done really well maintaining the budget,” said Kitt Robertson, who said that if the program started he would want it to be opt-out. “It seems like a bad idea to add a new tax and liability to the city.”
Others, however, felt that the personal advantage to homeowners would be worth it.
“This is how much I don’t have to put in my garbage can,” said Steve Gregerson, another opt-out proponent who showed a picture of the large pile of materials that he currently has to drive out to West Valley City to recycle.
There was also discussion of the burn plant, where North Salt Lake City currently sends all of its garbage. The burn plant turns 85 to 90 percent of garbage into energy for Hill Air Force Base, while the remaining percentage goes to the landfill in Layton City.
Connected to that was the mistaken belief that the recyclables market is so low now that companies end up shipping the goods back to landfills anyway, a rumor that Waste Management representative Greg Walkenhorst told residents was 100 percent not true.
“To do that would give us a black eye,” he said, explaining that companies stockpile recyclables in their yard during low times. “The market’s gone back up enough that we’ve gotten rid of most of the stuff we’ve been stockpiling over the last few months.”
Residents who won’t be able to attend the second public hearing are welcome to send comments to collinw@nslcity.org. The city council will spend the next few weeks doing more research on the topic, echoing the opinion shared by many that information is the most important part of any program.
“Educate us,” said Michele Christiansen, the one resident who spoke who was in favor of mandatory recycling. “Tell us what we can put in and what we need to do. It will make things so much easier.”
jwardell@davisclipper.com
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