How can I get recycling in my neighborhood?

[Petersmamma]

I live in a subdivision with a HOA. We are outside city limits. We have to pay for trash pickup. I would love it if we had recycling pick-up, too, but right now, there's nothing.

I know that this exists as I have seen some neighborhoods (inside city limits) with the bins for recycling.

Does anyone have any experience with bringing recycling into your HOA-limited community?

I would really love some ideas on getting this to happen.

TIA!

[iamama]

I could not fathom not having a recycling progam. I would start by writing a letter of concern and call to action to the HOA.

[Petersmamma]

You are right. That's a good place to start. I don't want to say this, but I don't know how good it will be, since my HOA sucks-o-rama.

But say my HOA doesn't do anything (just hypothetically, of course....as soon as they see my letter, they will RUSH to get us hooked up with recycling! ).....what then?

[tamaralv]

I know! I know!

I am currently trying to do it, anyway. I will not be surprised if it takes over a year, but we own our house and I really want curb-side pick-up lol.

I'll tell you what I have done so far:

*called the local trash collection ("Waste Management" or WM) and asked them about it. Had to be very persistent as the woman who answered cust svc didn't know how to help me. I took notes and basically asked how to go about getting our neighborhood to be included for curb-side.

*after a LOT of buck-passing and calling lots fo different places (several more than once), I then called our water company. Locally, WM gets our water co to bill for them on our water bills. I found out that if I wanted curb-side recycle in our 'hood, I needed to get the water co's approval. Actually, get the water co to ACT AS the liason between me and the WM dudes.

*The person I was assigned at water co to act as my liason (btw - she is a supervisor - the cust svc people there weren't knowledgeable about this, eitehr) gave me a list of what the WM guys want to consider giving us service. Basically, they need a list of names and addresses and signatures (so, a petition) of households in our area who want curb-side pick-up. They will then consider it.

*And that is where i am right now. I am also working with our neighborhood association (I joined our board this year to help push my recycle agenda lol).

* My next step is to find how HOW MANY sigs the WM needs to take us seriously, and also to see how much it will cost each hosuehold for recycle pick-up. I would like to have a table and petition out this Tuesday at Neighborhood Night Out (or whatever that's called ) but may not have the info I need for it by then. Otherwise, I will do a block-walk and ask people individually to sign the petition.

Good luck! Let us know if you make progress and what works for you! If your HOA isn't a true advocate for you, then get as much info as possible from other sources and present it to them later (so they don't have to actually *work* )

Cheers!

[KMK_Mama]

I want to do the same thing. We live in a neighborhood with an HOA, but we are in the county, outside of city limits. It sucks. I feel guilty every time I throw something away that could be recycled. I looked at earth911.com and there are no facilities I can drop off plastic too, just places for cardboard and cans.

[tamaralv]

As an aside, we've also made a committment to reduce bringing things into the house that will not be recycled due to my laziness about dragging trash across town and/or our lack of curbside recycling. Things that made the biggest impact in our house:

Cut all newspaper and mag subscriptions (ok I do get one mag still lol - but I totally recycle those by passing them on to friends).

Stop buying individually wrapped items, incl. sodas, etc.

Take bags to the store so I'm not bringing home plastic bags (unless I am low on trash can liners hehe).

Also, depending where you are, talk to your elected county rep if you are outside a city that you know already has curbside pick-up. The resources are THERE it is just a matter if getting them to come pick up your recycling, too!