The city of Champaign recently posted some interesting data about usage of its city recycling drop-off site near Home Depot. In a nutshell, the numbers have more than doubled since the city started the program in 1999-2000.
In the most recent reporting period, fiscal year 2007-08, 1,440 tons of materials were recycled there, at a cost to the city of $65 per ton. That adds up to just shy of $100K. Of course, the people who use this service are not only residents of Champaign. People come from far and wide to dump their plastic, paper, cardboard, etc.
Of course, $93,000 was a teeny portion of the City’s $116 million budget for that fiscal year. It is unclear to me who pays for this, whether is some sort of state funding or just out of the regular taxpayer pool. Regardless, it seems to me that the city of Champaign taxpayers should be thanked for funding this mandate and allowing anyone who wants to to recycle.
8 responses so far ↓
Ragib // July 8, 2008 at 8:03 pm |
Is there any way to recycle glass? The recycling bins I’ve seen around Chambana take plastic, paper, and cans, but not glass. I think Glass can also be recycled, so I’ll be interested to find a glass recycling place.
lbotp // July 8, 2008 at 8:11 pm |
Glass is one of the materials that must be accepted by any Champaign waste haulers … http://www.ci.champaign.il.us/public_works/index.php
It is also accepted at the drop-off site, it is mixed in with plastics on the bins marked “food containers.”
Leeanthro // July 8, 2008 at 9:50 pm |
I’ve wondered who uses those. We put our recycling on the curb. I think that some of the smaller communities do not have curbside recycling. If those people work or shop in Champaign, I bet they use the drop off. I also wonder what funds the recycling drop off. Is curbside recycling paid for by the city or is there a fee on our garbage bill?
Dana // July 8, 2008 at 10:14 pm |
Some of the smaller garbage companies around only recycle a limited number of materials, too. When I had Klean Way they only took newspaper, aluminum, glass and washed out plastic milk jugs. I watched them put the cardboard into the garbage truck and it felt wrong, so I switched companies that took a lot more. No one told me when I moved here that we had a city-run recycling center. Thanks LBOTP.
Gnightgirl // July 9, 2008 at 7:13 am |
I use them. I live in a condo-esque location (in Champaign) in which I share dumpster with my neighbors, and recycling isn’t available. Curbside would be great, but this is the next best thing.
Nonentity2u // July 9, 2008 at 7:38 am |
I use the drop off, too. The open containers used for recycling mean everyone’s “recycling” ends up being blown around the neighborhood and, inevitably it seems, into my yard. So I take the extra step of taking mine, and sometimes “theirs,” to the drop off.
But, where are we to take batteries for disposal? I’ve collected a bunch. I can’t recall a receptacle at the drop off.
AT // July 9, 2008 at 9:36 am |
Urbana offers the following places for battery disposal:
Battery recycling locations
Anita Purves Center, 1505 N. Broadway Ave.
Philips Recreations Center, 505 W Stoughton St.
Urbana City Building, 400 S. Vine St.
Urbana Free Library, 210 W. Green St.
Urbana Public Works, 706 S. Glover Ave.
Cassie // July 9, 2008 at 11:26 am |
In Champaign, pick-up recycling isn’t provided to people living in apartments or building with more than 4 units, so many residents use the drop-off location because of that.
The city of Champaign doesn’t pay for pick-up recycling, they just require the waste haulers to accept recycling. No fee is usually listed on the bills, any extra cost is just factored into the regular fee.
In the past, I’ve heard of companies that wouldn’t accept glass, but city law says they HAVE to, so give them shit if they tell you otherwise. It’s too bad cardboard isn’t included as well.
And thanks to the taxpayers of Urbana for providing battery recycling for everyone. It’s quite expensive to do so. It’s something like $2 per pound of batteries, at least it was a couple of years ago.