Dive Brief:
- Utah’s Washington County, which includes the town of St. George, is slated to kick-off an elective curbside recycling program in early 2016 called BluCan, contracted by Republic.
- According to the St. George News, 87% of Washington County’s 48,325 qualifying residents opted to participate. In St. George, which has about 78,000 residents, 85% of residents elected to go with the service. The high volume may lower the $4 monthly fee per household to $3.10 or $3.15.
- Paper, plastic, cardboard, and metal will be picked up on alternate weeks on scheduled garbage collection days.
Dive Insight:
U.S. curbside recycling has catapulted into mainstream America since its slow introduction 30 years ago, as local governments make it easier for residents by providing service, usually for a nominal fee.
While this recycling program is new to Washington County, Salt Lake City has done curbside recycling for a few years, beginning with a mayor's initiative when that city’s recycling rates lagged below the national average, which is now 33%. Today, Salt Lake surpasses that average with a diversion rate of 40%. Now a proposed mandate in the city’s condos, apartments and businesses may push that number higher.
The newest Utah county to join the curbside recycling movement is hoping to reap benefits as has Salt Lake City. On its website, the Washington County Solid Waste District says, "While the current landfill has many years of use remaining, the value of reducing the current stream of waste [through recycling] to lengthen its life and preserve land space benefits future generations."
