Being a Good Neighbor – the Pros and Cons of Neighborhood Recycling Centers

Aired: June 15, 2017

Cristina Polsgrove

Public Information Officer, City of Tucson Environmental Services

recycle center
Cristina Polsgrove In this show, we cover the good, the bad, the ugly and the weird when it comes to the surprises one finds at dumping sites and the potential consequences from a legal standpoint. Cristina even shares some of the shocking “surprises” workers have found. We cover it all. Cristina discusses neighborhood recycling centers reorganization and what it means to the consumer. I can assure you of two things – you will learn some good, useful “stuff” and we will have fun because there are times when living green can be fun! This show made possible due to the generous support of City of Tucson Environmental Services.

INSIGHTS

The City of Tucson has been a forerunner on recycling early on and the city set up neighborhood drop off sites for recycling.
In 2013, the blue bin curbside recycling program was rolled out for city residents. Over the years, the city is seeing their neighborhood drop off sites becoming a dumping ground for all types of garbage – not recyclables (2/3 of the items found in the bins are trash and 1/3 is recyclable).
Want to know what items they have found in the bins that are not recyclable? You might be shocked to hear the list! Listen to this podcast to learn more.
There are changes in the future of neighborhood recycling centers. There will be a total of seven centers around the city – one in each ward.
The neighborhood recycling centers are intended for use by individuals living in an apartment complex or those times of the year (holidays) when we might have more items to recycle.
Did you know that toothbrushes are not recyclable? What is the current status of glass and recycling? What to do with the medications you no longer need? What is the most popular program the City of Tucson Environmental Services offers? Cristina covers the most commonly asked trash and recycling questions that Mrs. Green gets on a regular basis.
Is Mother Earth worth all of us being a little inconvenienced? #InconvenientTruth Reduce your consumption because that is the first “R” – not recycling.

GET INFORMED!