To the Editor: Warwick’s Sanitation Department has just implemented a “two-can recycle policy.” The apparent purpose is to enforce/encourage recycling. This policy needs to be …
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To the Editor:
Warwick’s Sanitation Department has just implemented a “two-can recycle policy.” The apparent purpose is to enforce/encourage recycling. This policy needs to be re-examined because of unclear implications.
Specifically in this policy, it is the “rule” that if both cans are not out, then they will not pick up.
In my case, both cans were placed by the curb in accordance with the new “rules.”
As I always do when I’m home, I remove the can that has been emptied from curbside and place it by the back gate. A while after I placed my emptied green can by my back gate; I heard the garbage truck pass by. To my surprise, when I went out to retrieve this can, I found an orange tag attached under the lid and the garbage can (the un-emptied garbage can) sitting at curbside.
The Sanitation Department’s Orange Tag has checked off the following: RECYCLING IS MANDATORY,” “Keep carts at least 4 feet apart and away from other objects,” and finally, under YARD WASTE, the “other” line had handwritten, “Must Recycle.”
Why wasn’t the gray garbage can picked up? The orange tag had checked, “Keep carts at least 4 feet apart and away from other objects.” Why was there an orange tag? I followed “the rules.” My green can was placed at curbside, and had been emptied. I did recycle. Now, because I removed my emptied green can and placed it in my yard, my garbage can is full, and is sitting at curbside, and is not being picked up. When will the garbage in the gray can be picked up?
Problems with this recycle policy are:
- Health issues when rotten garbage is not collected. (Providence had this when they implemented a similar policy under Cicilline.)
- Do you put out an empty can if there is nothing to recycle? Or if the can is 50, 30 or 20 percent full? This is a waste of the taxpayer’s dollars when empty or partially filled cans are picked up.
- Does the new policy establish a time when the homeowner can retrieve the cans?
- Public notification was poor – something more than a post card should have been used.
- Period of grace should have been implemented. The “orange tag” warning should have been placed in the mail slot/box.
I emailed my Ward 3 politician, Vella-Wilkinson, on this matter but she has not bothered to respond.
Tom Burke
Warwick
4 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
patientman
Vella Wilkinson only answers to the unions.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 Report this
davebarry109
Tom....agree with you but no one can put something in your mailbox except mailmen. Just do what the government tells you and nobody gets hurt.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 Report this
Michael2012
Just put your gray bin and recycle bin out.... retrieve back into the yard at the end of the day. Why is this so hard to follow ???
Recycling is key to our future. We are using up natural resources at a unbelievable pace. We are running out of land fill space. Warwick gets money for people recycling which will keep taxes down.
This isn't rocket science. They have made it so much easier now to recycle but using both bins instead of having to sort. Now I won't have to worry about filling up the green bin with paper and cardboard I can use the blue bin. So if the green bin sits an extra week with paper and cardboard big deal.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 Report this
scottc
My trash was skipped and I DO recycle. Unfortunately this coming week the recycle cart will also contain trash. I have no other place to put it.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 Report this