Although York County’s recycling rate dipped slightly this year, one more municipality has
added curbside recycling services for its residents.
The county’s recycling rate dropped from 34.8 percent in 2009 to 33.5 percent in 2010. Despite the drop, the county’s recycling efforts are impressive, said York County Solid Waste and Refuse Authority spokeswoman Ellen O’Connor.
“It’s not alarming; it’s a small drop,” she said. “Education is key. We’re trying to help residents in York County understand all the things they can put in their bin.”
The 1.3 percent drop represents about four tons of waste, O’Connor said.
In 2010, York County collected 416,780 total tons of waste and recycled 139,550 tons of material. Construction waste is not included in the recycling rate.
Residential and construction waste combined, the county recycled 279 million pounds of material — or about 641 pounds recycled per person.
Participation: State law mandates 14 of the county’s municipalities provide residents with curbside recycling, based on population density or total population. York County far exceeds that requirement with 62 of its 72 municipalities offering curbside service. Cross Roads most recently added the service, O’Connor said.
Some county residents have even requested second bins, O’Connor said.
“People in York County are doing a tremendous job of recycling,” she said. “We hear all the time people ask, ‘Can we use another bin?’ You can get any plastic bin as a second recycling bin. A lot of times your municipality will give you a bin, or it might have a nominal fee.”
Source : www.yorkdispatch.com
