Politics & Government
Future of Curbside Recycling Still Uncertain in Trenton
City officials say there are no plans for the program at this point.
After failing once, could curbside recycling in Trenton be back for another round?
Not at this time, according to city officials.
Despite the fact that many residents have expressed wanting to see a program take place in the city, a previous attempt at the operation ended quickly.
In October 2004, 300 residents were needed to start a curbside recycling service, each paying a fee of $32.96 per year. However, by January of the next year, the program was discontinued after falling short of getting 300 residents interested.
According to Frank Weber, Supervisor for the Trenton Sanitation Department, the fee could vary from the 2004 rate for a future program depending on whether or not the city hires a private contractor to pick up the recycling.
Trenton Resident Emily Hornbeck is a big supporter of reinstating the program, even starting her own petition on the website Change.org. Hornbeck recently migrated from Dearborn, a city that has had curbside recycling for nearly 20 years. She believes the possible fee is a fair trade-off for the service.
"I would be willing to pay for the bin if that's what is necessary or an annual fee added to our taxes; taxes would make the most sense to me since that is the way we pay for similar city services like trash and leaf collection," she said. "The added convenience of not having to bag it up and take it to the transfer station periodically would be well worth it."
In the meantime, Weber encourages residents to take their recyclables to the Transfer Station.
"We have the co-mingling signs there where they can mix newspapers, plastic bottles, tin, everything together," Weber said.
The Transfer Station is free for Trenton residents only.
"I think that the fact that because we have the recycling center at the Transfer Station may be another reason why we don’t have more participation [in curbside recycling]," echoed Trenton City Administrator Jim Wagner.
The Trenton Transfer Station is located at 1801 Van Horn Road and is open for drop-offs 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
"Recycling is not a new idea and I think for Trenton to stay relevant to young families and new residents, the city needs to provide these services," said Hornbeck. "I think the residents need the chance to try it out and see how much waste reduction they have and how easy it is to recycle. "
If you are interested in learning more about Emily Hornbeck's petition for curbside recycling in the city, click here.
