This SSC proposed change could make curbside recycling easier in Bellingham
Bellingham trash and recycling hauler Sanitary Service Co. is considering a switch to single-bin recycling in an effort to get more people to stop discarding items that could be reused.
SSC General Manager Ted Carlson described a trial single-stream recycling effort at a City Council committee meeting Monday, Jan. 10.
A test lasting about six months will start soon for 700 SSC customers in south Bellingham, Carlson told the council’s Public Works and Natural Resources Committee.
“I think one of the most important things is what happens to participation,” Carlson told the committee.
SSC is getting ready to buy new equipment and it makes sense to see if more Bellingham residents will use single-bin recycling before the company commits to new trucks that are designed for that, Carlson said.
“How we collect the recycling will direct how those investments are made,” Carlson said.
Currently, SSC customers sort their recycling into separate bins for glass, metal and plastic; mixed paper; and newspaper. Cardboard is stacked and placed next to the bins.
“That’s a real benefit to the current system,” because there’s less spoilage of recyclable material, Carlson said.
Single-bin recycling — where customers place glass, metal, plastic and paper into one “toter” the size of a current 90-gallon trash can — is a popular option across the U.S. for several reasons:
▪ Recycling is easier for the customer.
▪ A mechanical arm dumps recycling into the truck, so drivers don’t need to get out to load recyclable material, reducing injuries and making pickup faster.
▪ Trucks can hold more recycling material, meaning drivers make fewer trips to the recycling center and use less fuel.
▪ A single large bin is less likely to spill its contents and create litter during a windstorm.
But there’s more spoilage with single-bin recycling, a problem that could send more recyclable material to the dump, Carlson said.
“The dirty secret with recycling is that very little gets reused,” said Councilman Michael Lilliquist, committee chairman.
Lilliquist asked for a progress report in about six months.
This story was originally published January 10, 2022 at 9:30 AM.
