THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 25, 1995 TAG: 9502250002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
A recent reprint of a Wall Street Journal article concerning recycling bears little truth to what is happening in South Hampton Roads.
Southeastern Public Service Authority operates a comprehensive recycling program in the area that includes:
curbside service
drop-off locations
used-tire recycling
yard-waste recycling
appliance recycling
used-oil recycling
Each of these programs is uniquely tailored to our area to make them as cost-effective as possible. One example:
The SPSA board of directors recently authorized the expansion of the curbside program to the remainder of the service area, an additional 150,000 homes. At the same time, SPSA will change the collection schedule from weekly to every other week so that it can make better use of its capital investment and increase its collection efficiency.
Now that markets for recycled materials have begun to mature, we can demonstrate that it costs far less to collect and sell a ton of recyclables than it does to collect and dispose of a ton of garbage. The arithmetic is simple. The cost of collecting recyclables is partially offset by the revenue they generate. If those same materials are collected as garbage, you have no offset, but you do have the additional cost of disposal.
Recycling can make economic sense as long as it is properly managed. Let's not get excited about what is not happening elsewhere. Let's get excited about the good things that are happening right here.
J. J. THOMAS
Director of recyling
Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia
Chesapeake, Feb. 7, 1995 by CNB