Recycling at Coralville, IA Households Getting Easier

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Coralville residents would no longer have to keep their types of recycling materials separate when the city launches single-stream recycling, planned to start early next year. Currently, Coralville offers curbside recycling for single family and duplex housing where residents are told to group their recycling according to paper, plastic, metal or flattened corrugated cardboard. But come March, the city will roll out single-stream recycling where residents still have to separate recycling materials from the rest of their garbage — but then toss them all together in a bin.

The city will make the change for all residents at the same time, rather than using a phased approach. Deputy City Administrator Ellen Habel said this is “a big plus.” Iowa City, North Liberty, Cedar Rapids and Marion are among the cities already offering single-stream recycling. Implementing the start of single-stream recycling will cost Coralville about $600,000, which will be covered by grant funding and city dollars.

The city has been working on moving to single-stream “for quite a while now,” said Eric Fisher, streets and solid waste superintendent. Fisher said Coralville residents have been asking when the city would offer the service. “We’ve all just had a lot of discussions over the years, and I think finally just everybody agreed it’s time to move forward with it,” Fisher said. Coordinating plans and funding, as well as getting equipment ordered and delivered, has been a long process, he added.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantagemag.com