THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 12, 1995 TAG: 9505110145
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DEBBIE MESSINA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
Less household waste was recycled by city residents in 1994 than in 1993. But that's good news, said Debra C. Devine, city recycling coordinator.
The 2 percent drop, from 22 percent in 1993 to 20 percent in 1994, can be attributed to a change in the way people cut their grass.
Instead of bagging grass trimmings in clear plastic bags and placing it at the curb, more people are mulch mowing, which deposits the cut grass back onto the lawn.
``We had 4,000 tons less yard waste,'' Devine said. ``In this case I think the decrease is good. Not only does it save people time to mulch mow, it also puts the grass, and all the nutrients with it, back on the yard.''
Although yard waste is recycled at the landfill, it's preferred that individuals recycle their yard waste right in their own yards so the city can avoid transportation costs.
Overall, though, the city's recycling rate, which includes both residential and commercial recycling, jumped 10 percent, from 36 percent in 1993 to 46 percent in 1994.
``We're way ahead of the state recycling goal of 25 percent by 1995,'' Devine said.
Helping boost those numbers is the new demand locally for paper products such as magazines, catalogs, slick advertisements and cereal boxes, which had never been collected here before.
Last year, two paper de-inking facilities opened in Virginia. Previously, paper generated here was transported to Atlanta, which was more costly. De-inking is necessary because all inks must be removed from the paper before it can be recycled.
``The de-inking facilities changed the demand side in this market significantly,'' Devine said. ``It's made a world of difference.''
Whereas none of these slick papers and boxes was accepted for recycling in 1993, more than 4,000 tons was recycled in 1994 by individuals alone.
The city has 22 drop-off centers where aluminum, steel cans, glass and plastics can be taken for recycling. Newspapers, magazines, cardboard and chip board (like cracker and cereal boxes), can be taken to one of 78 city public schools for recycling.
Southeastern Public Service Authority (SPSA) also operates a curbside recycling program in many Virginia Beach neighborhoods. This year, that program is being expanded to every household.
Recyclable trash is passed on to private companies that market it to processors who turn the material into new bottles, paper, building materials or other items. MEMO: For information on recycling programs, call the Division of Waste
Management at 430-2450, No. 6 on the main menu.
ILLUSTRATION: HOW MUCH WE RECYCLE
Tons of garbage recycled in Virginia Beach
Product 1993 1994
Paper1 8,964 28,244
Yard waste 29,028 25,868
Metals 2 123,048 209,065
Plastic 288 176
Glass 1,264 1,163
Motor oil 207 148
SPSA curbside
5,819 7,754
Totals 168,618 316,499
1 Includes newspaper, magazines, cardboard
2 Includes aluminum, auto bodies, steel
KEYWORDS: STATISTICS RECYCLING ENVIRONMENT by CNB