Norcross has just launched a community-wide “Feet on the Street” recycling initiative to improve the quality of recycling in single-stream curbside recycling bins.
For four weeks beginning Sept. 13, a team of trained professionals will be checking and tagging curbside recycling bins for contaminants before the recycling trucks run their routes. Tags will let residents know if there’s anything in their recycling bins that doesn’t belong in the city’s curbside recycling program.
While many items are technically recyclable, not everything can be put in a curbside bin. According to the city, “The size, shape, chemical makeup or cleanliness of a material can make it too low-value or difficult and dangerous to process after it’s been mixed with other items and picked up. When the off-list items are added to a curbside bin or cart, they can contaminate viable recyclables, making them unrecyclable, too.”
“With support from The Recycling Partnership and our collection vendor, Waste Management, Feet on the Street is an opportunity for our city to lead the nation on waste diversion,” added Norcross Mayor Craig Newton.
Feet on the Street is funded by a $15,000 grant from The Recycling Partnership, with remaining costs funded by Waste Management and the Sustainable Norcross Commission.
Information, including FAQs and a full list of accepted items: norcrossga.net/feetonthestreet.
About the Author