City ups recycling capabilities

Make way for the new mixed-paper bins that will be showing up on the streets of Port Orchard as early as next week.

In what can only be described as an environmental victory for residents who have put pressure on the city’s prior lackadaisical approach to recycling, the Port Orchard City Council entered a new five-year contract on Monday with Waste Management and will now receive the same recycling services as the rest of Kitsap County.

“It’s a three-bin system system instead of a two-bin system,” explained Terry Bickel, district manager for Waste Management. “It will mean a little extra work, but it’s a very good thing because over 50 percent of recycled commodities come from mixed paper.”

The past contract did not allow Port Orchard residents to recycle mixed paper and cardboard.

“During the week of July 11, all households will receive a third recycling bin and new stickers for the bins that identify all the products that can be recycled,” explained Port Orchard Mayor Kim Abel. “Waste Management (will) also deliver information to (inform residents) about the new program...which will include cardboard, mixed paper and additional specific plastic products.”

According to Abel, the cost of recycling will be charged differently under this program. Instead of $2.68 per residential customer per month, the new

rate is $3.65.

But residents will actually end up paying less than before. A “recycling rebate” of $1.48 is subtracted from the service charge making the net charge to the customer $2.17 — 51 cents less per month than the old contract.

“The (recycling) rebate can change up or down,” Abel explained, “but it has increased for three straight years — not because of higher commodity prices, but because residences are recycling more material or tons. So the more (city residents) recycle, the more the rebate will be. The rebate is figured on the city residents’ total recycling sales divided by customer and then spread over the bills each quarter.”

Abel said that yard waste recycling will remain an additional service that can be contracted for on an individual basis.

For more information on the city’s new recycling program call the city of Port Orchard at (360) 876-4414 or visit www.cityofportorchard.us.

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