Arlington Residents Save Money with New Recycling Program on Hold
The need to maintain steady savings–even in the pennies– in today’s frugal economic environment is a rising worry for Arlington residents, especially with the recently proposed recycling initiative raised by Republic Waste Service, Arlington’s city-contracted waste collection company.
The proposal called for 95,000 Arlington residents to switch their existing 22-gallon recycling bins for larger 95-gallon carts. While there was not necessarily an immediate need for the 73-gallon size jump, Republic Waste Service states that it would improve collection efficiency as it enables trucks to mechanically collect recyclables, instead of manual collection. In an era where machines bestow a comfortable level of convenience, many Arlington homeowners view the proposed shift as an unwanted inconvenience.
Community Concerns about Larger Recycling Receptacles
A 25 cent monthly increase for waste collection was implemented on October 1 to support the growing cost of Republic’s services, and if this new recycling initiative moves forward, residents of Arlington will succumb to an 84 cent increase for automated recycling whether they choose to recycle or not. While it may initially seem like a minuscule raise, in the long-run it it impacts whole-dollar savings amounts for residents across the board.
In addition to the added expense, the community raised questions on managing these over-sized recycling bins. Some state that the 73-gallon recycling carts will not only be challenging for residents to store and maneuver, it will encourage unsightly clutter on public streets.
Republic Waste Service Puts Temporary Pause on Recycling Change
Recognizing the community’s resistance to the recycling bin initiative, Republic Waste Service has asked the city to refrain from integrating this change temporarily. Tim Powell, Republic’s general manager in Arlington stated, “We don’t think it’s a dead issue by any means,” but that they “want to make sure people have the facts instead of one-sided opinions.”
Republic Waste Service will work with the city of Arlington to brainstorm adjustments to this recycling proposal that will hopefully gain the support and trust of Arlington households. Until these details are re-worked, residents can keep a firm grasp on the extra change in their pockets each month as a result of the delay.
