Recycle push paying off

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

The effort by Key West officials to convince residents to “go green” paid off in 2014, when commercial and residential recycling volume increased about 26 percent over the previous year, according to a report released Jan. 5.

 

The 26 percent increase in recycling translates to over 5,700 tons of materials being recycled instead of thrown into the trash in 2014. In 2013, Key West diverted just over 4,500 tons of trash to recycling. That boosted the combined residential/commercial recycling rate in the more trash-heavy months such as December to between 28 and 29 percent, said William Thompson, Key West Solid Waste Coordinator, almost one-third of the total waste stream for the city. For the 12 months in 2014, the average combined recycling rate for residential and commercial properties was 26 percent. That was up from approximately 22 percent in 2013.

 

“We’re slowly creeping up.” Thompson said. “Business is the key.”

 

While the residential recycling rate is higher than the commercial rate, trash generated by homeowners accounts for about 40 percent of the total waste stream in Key West, leaving the bulk of discarded material generated by local businesses. Thompson encouraged business owners to explore the benefits of recycling their material instead of throwing it into the trash dumpster.

 

“Commercial recycling costs nearly two-thirds less than commercial trash removal, and those savings add up quickly,” he said. “If your company is interested in recycling, we can help you get started.”

Key West, like the other cities in Florida, is under a state mandate to boost recycling rates to 75 percent by 2020. Jack Price, an environmental waste reduction consultant in the state Department of Environmental Protection, said Monroe County is on track to meet a transitional goal of achieving a 50 percent recycling rate in 2015. Monroe County is currently 8th on the most recent statewide recycling chart, while being 40th in population.

 

Key West jumpstarted its recycling efforts in 2013, when the city reduced its trash collection schedule from twice a week to once. The move caused trash bins to fill more quickly, encouraging residents to sort out the recyclable material and put it in a separate container. At the same time, the city replaced those 18-gallon blue recycle bins with a 65-gallon model.

 

Those two actions resulted in a jump in residential recycling rates from seven percent to approximately 22 percent in the following three weeks.

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