Recycling has never been easier, thanks to single-stream recycling, which is when all recyclable items - such as paper fibers, plastics, metals, and other containers - are mixed into one garbage can in your driveway and dumped into a collection truck, which for Beacon, happens every other week. Additionally, the City's refuse costs have actually decreased as a result of single-stream recycling, according to James P. Constantino, General Counsel for Royal Carting Service Co.

The one drawback most people have with their single-stream recycling is that the cans for collection are smaller and are picked up every other week, resulting in excess recyclable waste going to the landfill, and those green cans with the orange tops being in a perpetual state of overflow. Until now ... for select Beacon residents.

Pilot Program for Weekly Recycling Pickup

Royal Carting Service Co., Beacon's solid waste and recycling collection company, is starting a Pilot Program of weekly recycling pickup for select residents of Beacon's Wards 1 and 4 from April 4th to May 27th to see if weekly recycling pickup would be financially viable. Residents who are in the program received a flyer from Royal Carting, and those who did not receive a flyer, yet still live in those wards, are not in the program, according to Mr. Constantino.

Sarah Womer, a local advocate for moving as much waste as possible away from local landfills as the founder of Zero to Go, an education-based waste management company focused on composting and recycling and who is not connected to this Pilot Program, is hopeful about the program. "The weekly recycling pickup is a great initiative for the City to be piloting with Royal. Many people have much more recyclables than can fit in their cans supplied by the City and Royal, and wish to see this additional pickup to keep their household recycling strong, and keep our city streets clear of blowing items that fall out of overflowing bins. "

When asked if there was any grant money involved with funding the program, Mr. Constantino replied: "Royal Carting did not apply for nor did it receive any grant funds to conduct the Pilot Program. Royal Carting, on its own volition, proposed to conduct the program to accumulate data to allow the City to determine whether offering weekly recycling pickup would be financially viable."

Measuring Success

Success of the Pilot Program, according to Mr. Constantino, will be measured on participation rates and the increase in tonnage of waste that is streamed to recycling from the Pilot Program participants. In other words, fill up those orange lidded cans with approved recyclable materials!

The first step in the process will be to evaluate participation levels and hopefully increase diversion from the municipal solid waste stream to recycling. "With that information," says Mr. Constantino, "Royal Carting will be in a position to evaluate not only the additional cost of the service, but also, working with City officials, to determine what, if any, additional tax cost may be associated with increasing the service."

Should Beacon move forward with weekly recycling pickup, it would join the ranks of Fishkill, Wappingers Falls and Poughkeepsie, who all conduct weekly pickup.

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