Curbside recycling a go, to begin next month
Special to the
Opelika Observer
Hey Opelika. It’s going to happen. Curbside recycling is going to start for some Opelikans as early as Nov. 1. It will be phased in over the next several months for those who have signed up for the service.
Solid Waste Division Director Terry White’ s email letter to those who have already signed up is printed below. People can still sign up by going to the city’s website; on the front page (left column) click on “Curbside Recycling Signup.” They will be addedd to the existing list but may have to wait until early next year to get a cart.
Dear Recycling Customer,
Thank you for signing up for our new curbside recycling program. We are very excited to bring this new recycling option to the citizens of Opelika. Currently we have just over 600 residents that have signed up for the service which is short of our goal of 1,000, but we feel the number will increase when we start delivering carts. Please continue to encourage friends and family to sign up for this new service.
Our first 500 carts purchased by Keep Opelika Beautiful have arrived and we are assembling these carts for delivery. The 250 carts being purchased with funds from our ADEM Grant have just been approved and will be ordered on October 1st. Due to the heavy cart orders this time of year, delivery is not expected until mid-January. Below is our tentative schedule for delivery and starting service.
If your garbage collection day is Monday or Tuesday:
Your recycling cart will be delivered in October and your first pickup day will be on Friday, November 6th.
If your garbage collection day is Wednesday:
Your recycling cart will be delivered in November and your first pickup day will be on Friday, December 4th.
If your garbage collection day is Thursday:
Assuming we receive our cart shipment in mid-January, your cart delivery will be delivered in January and your first pickup day will be on Friday, February 12th. If carts are late being delivered we will notify you of the changes.
Initially all curbside recycling routes will be picked up every other Friday. The schedule will be posted on our website www.opelika-al.gov. Please be patient as we start this new recycling route. As we grow, there is also the possibility there may be changes to your route day. When the carts are delivered they will come with instructions on materials that are and are not accepted. We need everyone to follow the rules so we can deliver acceptable loads to the recycling center in Columbus. If our loads are contaminated they will be rejected and the material will be taken to a landfill, so it is very important we are all in compliance with the rules. And please remember that when we begin your curbside recycling, there is a $10 per month fee.
Again, thank you for signing up and we look forward to making Opelika a leader in recycling. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 334.705.5480.
Terry White
Director of Solid Waste
