Last call! New Opt-Out Deadline for Recycling

Provo City is extending the deadline for residents to opt out of its household curbside recycling program to September 9. A total of 2,671 opted out by the original deadline on August 7, which would have added over 10,000 more residential sanitation customers to the program, and increased participation from 24 percent to 84 percent.

The city has extended the deadline to make sure that number reflects reality before ordering new blue recycling cans and delivering them in October. "We're pleased that so many want to recycle," stated city spokesperson Helen Anderson. "But we don't want anyone to be surprised when a blue can shows up on their doorstep next month. We want to make sure residents know it's optional." The city recently sent those who had not yet opted out a postcard with the new deadline.

To opt out before the September 9 deadline, residents may call the Provo City Helpline at 801-852-6000. Those who do not opt out will get a blue can from Allied Waste in October, and service and charges will start in November. The cost is $4.75 per month, and those enrolled in either the curbside household recycling or the yard waste recycling program will be charged $2 less for regular garbage service.

Residents can find more information about the recycling program, including cost, schedule, and what to recycle, at www.provo.org.

Recycling by Doing Nothing!

I posted once before about the change to the City's blue can recycling but now the date of the change is upon us!  There are also some new developments that you may not have heard about -- unless you are one of the few reads the information that comes in your utility bill. 


The Provo Municipal Council recently approved a new OPT-OUT recycling program for all residential garbage service customers in Provo. Many are already participating in the every-other-week household curbside recycling program for paper, plastics, cardboard, and aluminum and tin cans. Under the opt-out program, those not already participating will be automatically enrolled on November 1, 2011, unless they notify the city by August 7, 2011, that they do not want to be included.

If you want to opt-out, here is where you can find information about how to do it.  I hope you will not opt out but will join your neighbors in reducing the waste going into the land fill. 

I urge you to look over the information on the Provo City Sanitation web page to get up-dated on the program. When I first started recycling with the blue can only plastics labeled 1 or 2 were acceptable.  I was surprised to learn that I now can recycle plastics labeled 1 throught 7!  And I didn't know that I could send paper, including old phone books, to the yard waste composting station (1625 S Industrial Pkwy).  Did you know that there are locations listed for recycling such things as tires, glass, antifreeze, computers, and car batteries?

If you are disappointed to be required to pay for the recycling service, consider this:  You can opt out and still recycle by delivering your recyclables to bins located at the composting station and at Kiwanis Park (820 N 1100 E). However only plastics labeled 1 and 2 are accepted there.

If you are already a blue can recycler, you will be receiving a new can, since the service provider is changing after the 26th.  After servicing the container that day, Waste Management will be picking up their containers.   All Waste Management blue containers should be placed out and left out for Waste Management to remove. 

Because the City is expecting to double the number of residents recycling with the OPT-OUT program, they have divided each daily route in half effective August 1st.  You will still be receiving every other week blue container household recycling service.  However, for example, half of Monday's route will be serviced by Allied Waste on August 1st (Schedule A) and the other half will be serviced on August 8th (Schedule B). 

The new container should have a Pick Up Schedule on the lid of the container that identifies the resident's weekly schedule. 

Feel free to pass this information on to others that you think need it. 

Computer Reincarnation or Electronic Waste

If it is time to up-grade your computer, think carefully about what you will do with your old computer. If the computer is still usable there are charitable organizations that would be pleased to clean them up and put them to use again.  Laptops are particularly needed in isolated schools in third-world countries. If you want to donate your old computer, send word to grandview.south@gmail.com for information about how your old computer can find a new life. 

If your old computer is beyond use, be aware that simply dumping it in the trash is very dangerous.  The chemicals and electronics must be handled with care.  For this reason, it normally it costs $10 to dispose of a computer at the SUVSWD transfer station, but you can get rid of computers, monitors, TVs, and other electronic waste for free at the Simply Mac e-Waste Recycling Event on Fri. April 29 (Institutional Day) or Sat. April 30 (Public Day), 9 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Provo Towne Centre (1200 Towne Centre Blvd., Provo) west parking lot. Read more about it here: http://www.simplymac.com/recycle.