THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 27, 1996 TAG: 9604270337
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
The way John E. Stetkewicz sees it, the city's decision this week to abandon curbside recycling for a program that relies on the self-initiative of people just doesn't make sense.
``To be honest, I don't think the new plan will work as well,'' said Stetkewicz, an Aragona Village resident and an ardent recycler.
``Curbside recycling is the best way to go,'' he said Friday. ``I think the average person is just too lazy to load up the car every week with empty soda bottles, newspapers, dirty cans and then maybe have them leak all over the car seats. They don't want that.''
Two days after announcing it would abandon participation in a popular curbside recycling program to save money, the city's decision has drawn negative reviews from a small number of residents contacted on the matter.
The reason may have as much to do with how people see their role in recycling as it does with the hassle of learning new recycling habits.
Stetkewicz, like many who recycle, sees great value in the curbside program, which is run by the Southeastern Public Service Authority, the regional waste disposal consortium.
Every other week, he puts his blue SPSA bin on the curb filled with recyclables, and when he comes home from work the bin is empty. Seeing that, he has peace of mind that the trash has been recycled and, more important, that he is doing his part to help the environment.
Now that the city will no longer participate, Stetkewicz will have to drive his bins to a city-run recycling center himself.
``I think this will send the wrong signal to kids,'' said Stetkewicz. ``I just think we're raping this planet. I have four children and I want to do my part so they have a nice place to grow up.''
The city is not abandoning its recycling efforts - only changing them.
To make up for the lost convenience of curbside service, Virginia Beach will more than double the number of existing recycling centers on city-owned property, such as schools. These centers will take green, brown and clear glass, most varieties of plastic, magazines, telephone books and newspapers.
The centers will be open seven days a week, year-round, day and night.
The curbside SPSA program, although popular and convenient, has restrictions on glass color - no green or brown glass allowed - and it provides service once every two weeks. It also takes aluminum, newspapers, steel food cans, plastic milk and soda jugs, clear glass and dry-cell batteries.
The city's decision to change its policy came after SPSA's board of directors voted Wednesday to impose a first-ever monthly curbside recycling fee of $1 per household.
Every other week, SPSA crews collect reusable goods from their familiar blue bins set out in front of 241,000 homes in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Isle of Wright and Southampton counties. In Virginia Beach alone, more than 97,000 homes participate in the program.
SPSA is financed by ``tipping fees'' paid by eight municipalities to dispose of trash in the regional landfill. It also makes money by selling processed trash, some of which is used as fuel in the Navy's trash-conversion power plant. SPSA offered to reduce Virginia Beach's tipping fee by $3.20 per ton to $45 as part of the deal.
The new SPSA fee would have cost Virginia Beach $1.2 million each year. Unwilling to do that, the city decided to expand its collection sites at an annual cost of $200,000.
``We are dismayed,'' said Felicia Walker Blow, director of public information at SPSA. ``Recycling is absolutely necessary and it's even state-mandated. Nevertheless, SPSA will continue to operate sound and integrated recycling programs.''
Technically, the final decision won't come until the Virginia Beach City Council votes on its proposed $898 million municipal operating budget May 14, said City Manager James K. Spore.
``SPSA may change its mind about the higher fee, so I don't know if the final chapter is written yet,'' Spore said.
``We're going with new containers that are easier to use and larger,'' Spore added. ``We will double our drop-off points and the advantage to you is that you can drop off your recycling when you're ready and you won't have to wait two weeks.''
Two streets away from Stetkewicz's home, Delores A. Hill, of the 400 block of Taldan Ave., shared her neighbor's view.
``I was disappointed to read about it,'' said Hall. ``I've recycled all my life. But I don't think people are going to take the time to run their trash down to the collection sites. They're just going to trash it.'' by CNB