
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, March 30, 1991                   TAG: 9104010320
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-13   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

RECYCLING/ EASY DOES IT AS CITY KICKS OFF PROGRAM

BEING A GOOD citizen is not always easy. Laura Wasko is trying to make it easier for residents of Roanoke. She's the coordinator for the city's recycling program that began this week, and it's in her interest - everybody's - to make it as hassle-free as possible.

That's the tack the city government is taking. To promote recycling, the state says municipalities must reduce their solid-waste volume by 25 percent by 1995. That's a mandate.

But Roanoke, for now anyway, wants to avoid imposing trash mandates on its residents. It got burned back in the 1970s when it considered eliminating backyard and alley garbage collection. This time, it's easy does it and let's all cooperate.

Roanoke is providing special 32-gallon rollout containers with compartments for different recyclables. It's beginning small, in parts of nine neighborhoods, affecting 4,000 homes. By year's end, the aim is to reach 9,000 households; within three to four years, all 38,000 city residences.

The start-up this week was reportedly smooth. "We've gotten a lot of positive reaction," said Wasko. The sentiment's not universal; some residents returned the rollout containers. No problem; there's no penalty.

Yet. No point in getting people's backs up when you're still trying to educate them about why the program's needed. Roanoke County also is getting under way with a small program that stresses the voluntary help of each household.

It should be obvious, however, that somewhere down the road, voluntary cooperation will have done as much as it can. Then, to make recycling programs work as they must, local governments will have to make separation of household trash mandatory. Vinton already does. For most of us, it's likely only a few years off.

by CNB