Print
Oct 23, 2006 7:22 pm US/Central
Fort Worth Cracking Down On Recycling Wrongs
City Says Too Many People Use Recycle Bin As Garbage Can
by Mark Johnson
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
The city of Fort Worth says it's had enough when it comes to residents putting ordinary garbage in recycling bins. The city has new measures in place to punish repeat offenders. It starts with a hefty fine, and could lead to a resident losing their recycle cart.
"Where we really have a problem is people who intentionally use it as another garbage cart," says Kim Mote, Assistant Director of the City's Environmental Waste management Department. "Those are the people we're seriously after."
Fort Worth's "Blue Crew" is a team of recycle inspectors who have the dirty job of making sure the city's recycle carts are being used correctly. All too often, they're not.
According to inspector Rosana Flores, "We've found all kinds of things in here, food, diapers, dead animals, and it contaminates the whole load."
Unwanted items are bagged up and the homeowner gets a warning. After three warnings, the homeowner is assessed a $10 fee for each bag, which is added to their city water bill. Repeat offenders could lose their recycle cart and be forced to pay a monthly fee for an additional garbage cart.
Mote says the City loses up to $1 million a year in additional costs at its contracted recycling facility. "Once it gets to the recycling facility, the costs are astronomical because they have to be hand sorted out or machine sorted out. Then they go through the disposal systems in Arlington, which are more expensive than they are here in Fort Worth."
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
