Recycling Programs Beginning to Sway Skeptics in Davis County
Written by Justin Burch - KUTV Greener Living
Woods Cross recently became the first city in Davis County to implement mandatory curbside recycling. Based on programs throughout Salt Lake County and other Utah communities, Woods Cross’ recycling plan is now being examined by other cities in Davis County. However, many citizens and leaders remain skeptical of such requirements.Despite the successful implementation of a new program in Woods Cross, mandatory recycling programs have met considerable opposition in Davis County. In a 2007 survey, 58% of Bountiful residents were found to be opposed to mandatory recycling programs. Local councilman Tom Tolman expressed that “a lot of residents are on fixed incomes and elderly, and they don't want to be bothered with it.” As a result, Bountiful implemented an optional recycling program for its residents.
The recycling program in Woods Cross is overseen by Wasatch Integrated Waste Management, the same firm that handles garbage pickup in all Davis County cities outside of Bountiful. In addition to the new recycled program, the company has also helped reduce the county’s waste by incinerating nearly half of all collected garbage at their Layton facility. While the process reduces the amount of waste in local landfills, the steam generated at the garbage incinerator is used to heat Hill Air Force Base.
Nathan Rich, the executive director of Wasatch Integrated Waste Management, understands the difficulty of implementing mandatory recycling programs, despite the numerous benefits. However, he claims that “if you want your curbside recycling program to be successful, the experience in the industry is they need to be mandatory programs.” Rich also believes that mandatory programs both encourage participation – even if residents are resistant initially – and ensure overall cost-effectiveness by increasing the amount of collectable recyclables.
As it stands, residents in most Davis County communities have the option to pay private companies to collect recyclables from their homes, or take such items to specially-designated dumpsters located at schools and churches. Under the voluntary program, Bountiful residents wanting curbside recycling pickup pay $10 per month, though the price could drop as low as $4.63 per month if 90 percent of locals participate. On the other hand, all Woods Cross residents now pay $2.50 per month under the mandatory program for biweekly recycling pickup and the use of a blue recycling can.
Leaders of other Davis County communities are now waiting to see how each of the recycling programs develops. The cities of Centerville, Kaysville and West Bountiful are all considering new recycling programs, though most seem to support Bountiful’s optional recycling model. In response, Kent Parry – the mayor of Woods Cross – is now trying to encourage other Davis County communities to embrace mandatory recycling, claiming that most citizens – even some that initially fought the program – have enjoyed participating and take pride in making a difference.
Parry also hopes the story of Woods Cross citizens learning to understand and support mandatory recycling will spread beyond the Davis County and help other Utah communities develop reliable programs. According the Parry, choosing mandatory recycling should be a no-brainer because “we live in a finite world with finite resources, and sometimes we have to go out of our way and be inconvenienced, whether it's sorting through garbage or paying a little extra, to make the world a better place.”
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