A new addition to Danville Public Works’ fleet of vehicles will debut during the River District Festival on Saturday — a mobile recycling
trailer wrapped in scenes from around the city.
Tom Spicer, the city’s director of sanitation, said the trailer will parked at Newton’s Landing from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. the day of the festival.
“We hope people will bring their recyclables and drop them off, then enjoy the festival,” Spicer said.
Paper, cardboard, plastics, aluminum cans and metal of any kind and glass can all be recycled, but, Spicer said, paper recycling has been the most profitable for the city.
“It costs $48 a ton to take paper to the transfer station, but we’re getting $165 a ton (for paper) at the paper mill,” Spicer said. “Bring cereal boxes, toilet paper and paper tower rolls, anything paper. If you can tear it, we want it.”
Recycling just makes sense, Spicer said, because it helps control the cost of solid waste disposal, and can offset fee increases for the future.
The new trailer is available for city, community, church, school and business events at no charge, and gives those organizations an opportunity to encourage guests at their events to recycle items they don’t need, Spicer said.
The scenic wrap on the trailer cost $1,200, but is considered worth it because it draws attention to the trailer and makes it more attractive at community events.
“We think people will pay attention to it and try to recognize the different locations shown; it will attract more attention that just words would,” Spicer said.
To reserve the new recycling trailer for an event, call public works at (434) 799-5245.
Curbside recycling update
The city’s new curbside recycling program has gotten off to a slow start, according to Rick Drazenovich, director of public works.
So far, only 38 Danville residents have signed up for the service, which picks up recyclables weekly at a cost of $5 per week.
Drazenovich said the program is being monitored to make sure the cost of providing the pickups is offset by the value of the recyclables picked up.
“We calculated that we could do seven stops an hour, and we’re close to that,” Drazenovich said.
Drazenovich said some people are suggesting that the pickups be scheduled biweekly rather than weekly to hold down the cost for customers and public works, but said the department committed to giving the program six months in operation before making any decisions on changes to pickups or costs.
To find out more about the city’s recycling efforts, visit www.danville-va-gov.
Source : www2.godanriver.com
