Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, July 17, 1990 TAG: 9007170289
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The program ultimately will involve all 36,000 households in the city.
Wasko works for the Central Midlands Regional Planning Council, based in Columbia. She has done recycling research, organized recycling campaigns, made educational presentations to community organizations and helped Columbia establish a curbside recycling program.
In the past year, she also has headed the Midlands Keep America Beautiful Program, an affiliate of the national Keep America Beautiful program.
Wasko will begin work in Roanoke in August. Her first task will be to coordinate the first phase of the recycling plan approved earlier this year by City Council.
Under the voluntary program that will be phased in over four years, residents will be asked to separate newspapers, glass, aluminum and certain plastics from their garbage and place them in a special container with separate bins.
The containers will be provided free. The city will pick up the recyclable materials weekly.
Wasko, a graduate of Slippery Rock State College in Slippery Rock, Pa., has a bachelor's degree in geography. She has a master's degree in geography from the University of South Carolina and has completed graduate courses in solid-waste planning at Clemson University.
"We have heard over and over again that recycling is a major concern of our citizens," said City Manager Robert Herbert. "In fact, 93 percent of the respondents from our recycling survey said they would be willing to recycle if the recyclable materials they save were picked up at the homes.
"We're seeking a much greater awareness of the need to protect and preserve our environment, and the city of Roanoke is responding to the needs through such efforts as the hiring of this full-time recycling coordinator," he added.
Wasko said she is looking forward to working in Roanoke.
"The state of Virginia is progressive in its environmental efforts and is looking at long-term solutions to environmental problems," she said.
City officials want to begin the recycling program now because of rising costs for burying trash in the Roanoke Valley regional landfill and state mandates for localities to recycle part of their trash.
The General Assembly has mandated that local governments recycle 10 percent of their solid waste by 1991, 15 percent by 1993 and 25 percent by 1995.
City officials estimate that it will cost $1.5 million over four years to buy the containers, vehicles and other equipment for the recycling program and to finance a public education campaign.
But the net cost should be $1.1 million because the city will save money in landfill dumping costs and receive money from the sale of recyclable materials.
The city will contract with a private recycling company to process and market the collected materials.
by CNB