Shame on me for not following city business closer, and I know the City of Muskegon is in a tough position financially and has to make hard decisions. However, I was dismayed to learn this morning in a Muskegon Chronicle article that the city has cut its curbside recycling program. The fact that employees were also affected was not lost on me. I know there is a cost to this program and that recent market changes may have made the program more expensive. However, I believe recycling is an important service and that without this city program recycling will decrease in the city of Muskegon, due to the increased effort it will take to recycle (hauling to Community Recycling Services on Port City Blvd).
I believe many others agree that this is an important program. I am not sure of the process for the city to reconsider this decision but I believe a reconsideration is in order. To show that citizens care about this service I am asking people to add a comment to this blog post. If you care to also support efforts to reinstate the recycling program please indicate that, and then leave your full name, your address, whether you are a city resident or not, a dollar amount that you would be willing to have your taxes increased to enjoy curbside recycling, and any comment you have.
I plan to keep an inventory of supporters and attend a the next City Commission meeting June 23, 2009 at 5:30 and use the list of supporters as evidence that the city should reconsider its decision to cut curbside recycling.
For additional information on the benefits of curbside recycling programs please visit the Environmental Protection Agency website.
For more on the state of recyling in the Muskegon Area please visit a report prepared by the Muskegon Area Sustainability Coalition. PDF of report.
Thanks for your consideration.
Dan Rinsema-Sybenga
25 comments:
Dan Rinsema-Sybenga
154 Campus Ave
City of Muskegon
$30 a year to enjoy curbside recycling
I would GLADLY pay $30 a year to keep our recycling program. I, too, was dismayed to read the story in today's Chronicle. At a time when landfills are overflowing, and bazillions of water bottles and other byproducts of a disposable society are ubiquitous, we need to encourage recycling, not disourage it!
Oops, meant "discourage." That's what happens when I get mad. :-)
I'm appalled at the overflowing garbage cans on our street on any given "garbage day". Much of that refuse could be recycled or composted.
In this day and age, it's socially irresponsible for a municipality to not offer curbside pickup. To have a system already in place and to take it away, for any reason, is outright criminal.
Muskegon should do what some other cities are doing. In San Francisco, for instance, nearly 70 percent of garbage is recycled. Homes, restaurants, and businesses get blue, green, and black carts. The blue one is for paper, glass, plastics, and metal; the green one is for food and yard waste; and the black one is for the landfill. Yes, people have to pay for the service but they get discounts for using smaller black carts, which provides an incentive for them to recycle. All the food waste goes to a facility that turns it into compost, which is then sold to to the public.
Smart, eh? So why can't we do something like that here?
You listening Muskegon city officials?
I have always been dismayed at the lack of recycling participation in my neighborhood, but shame on the City, too, for not making a stronger case for it. I would gladly pay $30 for an additional recycling fee. We must not lose this service.
I would willingly pay $ 5.00 a month for curbside recycling. I would also be willing to pay for a larger recycling bin, because the small one provided by the City is never big enough.
Karen Martin
345 Bennett St.
City of Muskegon
I would be happy to pay $30 a year to continue this valuable service.
Recycling is the right thing to do! Part of the problem of limited neighborhood participation was the fact that one could never depend on the "recyclables" being picked up on the appointed day. If my stuff was not picked up - I would call and make sure that "someone" knew I was unhappy with the lack of service. I know there were others in my neighborhood who just said it isn't worth the effort if the stuff isn't going to be picked up. I would gladly pay $30 a year, $5+ a month ... what ever, as long as it helps our environment and encourages recycling. Perhaps if the police department enforced the loud noice ordinance, ie. obnoxious, loud motorcycles, and ticketed offenders, that would make up the difference that eliminating this program will acrue.
Terry MacAllister
458 West Webster Avenue
Muskegon, MI 49440
I was extremely disappointed to hear the City of Muskegon is not interested in preserving our environment. Eliminating necessary programs such as curbside recycling will only hurt the city's efforts to attract residents to the downtown area. Personally I would like to have recycling picked up every week instead of every other (and sometimes not even then as Terry already stated).
I would gladly pay an extra $30 a year in order to continue curbside recycling.
Michelle Archambault
Hackley-Holt House B&B
523 W Clay Avenue
City of Muskegon
Since I started recycling and composting, my household garbage has been reduced to a bag a week. I would rather have the recycling picked up every week and the garbage collection every other week! Like other posters, I am disgusted with the amount of recyclable products being thrown away and the overflowing bins on the curb. It takes a little extra effort, but must be encouraged. And, yes, I would pay for the service.
I too was appalled that the city has decided to eliminate the curbside recycling program. I would gladly pay $30 or whatever it would take to keep this program going. It is however, very disappointing that more city residents have not been recycling as they should be. Every household should easily fill thier blue recycling bin in the two week span, but very few do.
Larry Schillaci
2414 Blodgett
Muskegon
Thank you, Dan, for giving us an opportunity to air our opinions about the decision the city of Muskegon has made concerning curbside recycling. When the program began, we had pick-up available to us on a weekly basis. I was unhappy that it was decreased to twice a month because I recycle everything I possibly can, and therefore set out three boxes that are overflowing. I, too have been frustrated and dismayed that more people in my neighborhood do not recycle (I live on Fifth Street, a block south of Muskegon High School.) Some neighborhoods have had better success with encouraging people to take responsibility for their garbage. Nevertheless, I have always been proud of Muskegon for offering this program, and I, too, would be willing to pay an additional fee to continue having it available.
We all have a responsibility for the future, especially those who have chosen to have children. We as responsible people cannot let the recycling of our waste be suspended. If Muskegon is serious about moving ahead and becoming the type of city new businesses want to be affiliated with, canceling the recycling program sends the exact opposite message. We have no choice but to show the country and future businesses who wish to be here that we care about being Green and doing the right thing. The shortage is only, according to the paper, $60,000.00. Come on now, can’t we pony up $5.00 to $10.00 per household?
As an employee of the city, I see much more fiscal waste and have brought it to the attention of those who can change it, with no interest in return, only cutting positions and services.
While our Central Fire Station recycles, it could be better. As I saw another poster on this blog mention San Francisco's recycling efforts, I was reminded that their fire department has a 100% recycling rate. I think all Muskegon departments can do better.
Another thing that should be done is to have a weekly recycling pickup, instead of every other week. This would encourage participation by more residents when they don't have to worry about stacking up recyclables for two weeks. I believe that Mayor Warmington stated that it costs $42/year for recyling pickup per household in the paper, but I'm not sure if that was bi-weekly or weekly. At my last residence, it was weekly and made a world of difference.
I would also suggest that the neighborhoods with community gardens consider having a composting device at each garden for food waste. I know several people who dispose of food scraps separately from our regular trash.
Since I moved back to the city in January, I have met many great people and made some great friends who live right in my neighborhood. Part of this great neighborhood is standing together with my friends in making this community thrive, and continuing a recycling program and even enhancing it by merely educating each other will allow that growth to continue.
I can't always make it to NNIA meetings and commission meetings, but I'm always up for discussing ideas. Many evenings, I can be found on my front porch enjoying my neighborhood and city.
Christopher Drake
234 Houston Avenue
City of Muskegon
Frankly, the reason why communities like Muskegon are apathetic about recycling is that most people HAVE NO IDEA what's really going on with this country's garbage.
Would they care more if they did? I'd like to hope so, but who can say? The truth is, probably not.
Fact is, ignorance is bliss, sad as it is.
I saw a post on Muskegon Town Talk about how much landfill space Michigan has, so much that we've been taking Canada's trash.
Okay ... so ... Like because we NOW have all this space, we should just toss garbage into landfills indefinitely?
How totally, ungodly ignorant.
As a City resident I would most willing pay a reasonable annual fee for curbside recycling. The impact to the environment by stopping this service is huge.
Perhaps better communication about the value of recycling and education on just what is recyclable would increase recycling by the residents. There is also some confusion on exact pickup days.
The Masonic Temple on Clay Avenue started recycling earlier this year and we have cut our dumpster use by 60%. As a commerical facility we cannot afford recycling pickup, but we have set up bins and one of our members volunteers to pick it up weekly and take it to the recycling center.
We should all try to do our part to cut down on landfill usage and reduce the negative impact on our environment.
I can not believe they are going to take the recycling program away. With the talk around the world about going green finally start to set in with people. In some cities the residents are payed for the recyclables that are picked up at there house, and they want us to pay for it to be picked up? I can bet if people are going to have to get in the car and drive to recycle there stuff the amount being recycled is going to drop.
We used to recycle alot at our house, but have since cut way back because it just built up too much, the day was unpredictable, and they didn't always pick everything up--they would stick it in our regular garbage to go to the dump. Why they did this, we do not know.
Our youngest is now into the "we have to recycle everything" mode and we have been considering starting it up again until this latest news. We have a busy household with an even busier schedule so taking our stuff to a facility would be very inconvient.
Recycling is very important and I think we should do more as a community. Ending the curbside recycling program is discouraging to those who are thinking about starting to do more for their environment. Just because we supposedly have a ton of space at a landfill, doen't mean we have to do our part to fill it as full as we possibly can.
The city "officials" have made a ton of stupid mistakes and decisions in the past and this ranks right up there as one of their dumbest. If you want to attract people to the area, you don't have garbage laying around in the streets because people are already too lazy to keep their yards clean and you as a city have decided that curbside recycling is unimportant as well.
Ending the curbside program shows that Muskegon doesn't care about the environment, no matter what they say.
Seems like a lot of posters on here are taking as self-centered approach to this problem. Instead of talking about ways to reduce use and reuse their waste everyone is lamenting about the removal or curb side recycling.
Let's look at this in a positive way. This is the type to reduce our consumption of disposable products.
Recycling is a good thing ... but not nearly as good as reducing usage and figuring out creative and direct ways to reuse the refuse we produce.
While recycling has benefits, it is in large part a "feel good" process more than the best option.
For those of us that are really pro-recycling let's step up and pay the price. What a waste for the city to pay for a program that a relatively small portion of the community uses (I know some areas have high participation). It is time for us to step up and directly pay for things we believe in.
THEN let's spread the word and educate our neighbors about benefits of recycling and reducing our consumption.
It is easy to "blame" the people who put recycle-ables in the trash, but a more positive thing to do would be for all of us complainers to actively and aggressively help to educate our fellow citizens.
I am sure some of you will say you already do that ... but if we do, maybe we have not done a good enough job.
I just suggest that we work to focus on the positive in our great town. Curb side recycling will probably still be available as a pay service and there is a recycling service in our community. Just because the city is not providing the service all is not lost.
Nancy Phorimpistor
City of Muskegon
I'm soooo happy to see so many comments about people being upset over the discontinuence of recycling. I wish all of you had been at Monday's emergency mtg., but we had NO notice from the city regarding this! It just leaked up before the Chronicle posted it. Shame on City Hall!! We in Beachwood/Bluffton and other places are appalled, but all of you NEED to call Allied Waste at 773-8551 and 773-8407 to continue this service. We also need to have recycling stations set up in other place throughtout the city for folks to use who cannot pay for services. This won't get done without your voice. Please try to attend Tuesday's commission mtg. at 5:30. Also comment on recyclemuskegon.com. Thanks! Bonnie Witt/BBNA
Katrina Hansen
1080 Terrace St. APT. 904
Muskegon, MI 49442
How do we get recycling at Hartford Terrace?
This just idea just came over on recyclemuskegon.com. Are people willing to go door to door in the city to get names, address, ph numbers of those interested in signing up w/ Allied Waste?? They could then call those names, etc. in to AW for their 'survey'. The sooner they have people, the sooner we'll get service, wi/out a lot of interruption, and the cheaper it will be. Right now it's figured about 42 a year based upon 500 people. Help out!! Contact your neighborhood assoc. OR just go ahead and DO IT! THING GREEN.........show up at City Commission mtg. Tues. at 5:30 and demand recycle stations thruout the city, for free, rather than just one on Port City Blvd. THANKS!
I too would be willing to have my taxes increased by $30/year to save recycling in Muskegon, but see below: This will not encourage recycling. Cutting this service pushes the city back into the dark ages. Even tiny little Key West, FL, has recycling, as does Anna Maria Island--and weekly as well, with no requirement to separate into categories We need to make it easier for people to recycle, not harder by raising taxes or stopping curbside pickup.
Cyndy Witzke
1472 W Harbour Towne Cir
Muskegon, MI 49441
Why do elected officials never ask if the people in the community would be willing to pay a little more for a service? Have the Republicans so indoctrinated everyone that the thought of paying for needed services is not allowed? We need to stand up for all of the good things that make our city better.
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