Currently, the City of Texarkana, Texas, contracts with Waste Management to provide twice a week trash pickup and once a week curbside recycling. Recyclable items include several plastics, aluminum and tin cans, and newspaper. Glass recycling is not offered at the present time, but it is available in Shreveport with their new recycling program. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of citizens participate in recycling. In February 2009 the market for recycled materials has diminished to the point that Waste Management has to pay $80/ton to drop off recycled materials. One year earlier, the market for recyclables provided a small monetary incentive for Waste Management to recycle these materials. There is at least one plastic manufacturer in Texarkana that will buy the recycled plastic from Waste Management if they would separate the materials by type of polymer. As the economy improves it is assumed the market for recyclables will return to being a break even for the refuse manager(s). Currently, after the trash is collected, it is transported to the large landfill that sits right beside I-30 in New Boston, Texas. This landfill is operated by Waste Management.
The City is currently working on a more progressive recycling plan that will help further reduce the amount of solid waste going into the landfill. The City of Texarkana, Arkansas, uses three different contractors to pick up trash from city residents. The City does not offer curbside recycling for their residents. Texarkana, Arkansas’ solid waste is also transported to the landfill in New Boston, Texas. Additionally, the numerous small towns around Texarkana do not offer recycling and their solid waste is transported to this same landfill. The cities are charged on a weight basis for their trash, so it would be in their best interest to recycle. In that Waste Management charges are based on weight and removing recyclables reduces weight, a recycling program can result in reduced cost. (Obviously, recycling comes with a cost attached that is passed on with their refuse bill.) The amount of this cost reduction is directly impacted by the level of recycling participation.
Communities with the highest recycling participation rates receive the greatest reduction in cost. Cities' costs decrease as more residents recycle because there is less material to transport to the New Boston landfill. In addition, less waste material decreases the need for more expensive landfills, and we will reduce the use of carbon based fuels to manufacture new raw materials Waste Management is currently working on a plan to use the methane gas emitted by the decomposing material in the New Boston landfill. This gas will be used to generate power for up to 4,000 homes. They hope to have this plan in place by late 2010. Power can also be generated at the Texarkana waste water treatment plant on South State Line since methane gas is a byproduct of the sewage treatment.
by forwardtxk » Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:04 am
How can we increase the number of residents who recycle in Texarkana, Texas?
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forwardtxk
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