This week's editorial question centered around curbside recycling.
Ohio needs to join the growing list of states that presently have an organized and comprehensive approach toward total recycling by all residents and businesses.
Many states have long been doing this and doing it very well.
In 1988, the Florida Legislature passed the Solid Waste Management Act. This legislation revised nearly all aspects of the state's solid waste management program. It required each county to initiate a recycling program involving all private and commercial property owners.
Our place of residence, Manatee County, contracted with Waste Management Services.
In our case, we have curbside recycling pickup once a week, with two recycling bins (provided free by Waste Management). Bin No. 1 is dedicated to plastics and glass, aluminum and steel cans (washed out) while bin No. 2 is dedicated to newspapers, white paper and cardboard, milk cartons, etc. In addition to recycling collection, we also receive curbside trash pickup twice a week and yard waste pickup once a week.
Since it is a countywide service involving all residents, the county is able to negotiate and contract the best rates possible.
In Manatee County, we get the recycling, yard waste removal and twice-a-week trash pickup for a most reasonable monthly charge of only ... $13.61 a month; that is included in our yearly property tax statement and billing.
The beauty of a total, curbside recycling program is the resulting reduction in recyclables that would otherwise been sent to local landfills. Studies have revealed a reduction of landfill waste to upwards of 40 percent.
Those citizens who practice voluntary recycling need to be commended, but our state and county officials are long overdue in taking the next obvious step towards implementing what has been working well for other states for many years.
Rick Hoffman,
Fostoria
