Curbside recycling reconsidered

Large expense, low compliance has mayor looking for alternatives

Curbside recycling began in November 2015 in Kokomo, and hopes were high that citizens would embrace the service and make the city more ecologically responsible. That didn’t happen.

Participation and compliance rates have barely increased from the time the program was initiated, and according to Mayor Tyler Moore, no more recyclables are collected in the city today than there were seven years ago. This unfortunate outcome has him searching for alternatives as the cost of curbside recycling is high

Heavy Equipment Operator Curtis Bowman tips a recycling tote as part of his weekly collection route.

“The tonnage we handle in curbside is roughly equal to the tonnage we received from the (centralized) bins,” said Moore. “And I think we pay $46 per ton to dump trash and $77 per ton to dump recyclables.”

Worse, misuse of or non-compliance with the curbside program means a large amount of recyclables get contaminated and must be dumped in a landfill instead of being recycled.