Iowa City rolls out larger recycling carts, continues composting, single-stream programs

IOWA CITY - City residents are receiving new, larger recycling carts as part of a grant program.

The city received $106,000 from The Recycling Partnership, a national nonprofit, to help pay for the new 65-gallon carts, delivery of the carts and a public education campaign. All residents with curbside service will likely receive the carts to replace their 18-gallon bins by the end of this week.

'One of the reasons why we made this shift ... is that we were seeing a demand from our community members,” said Jane Wilch, the city's recycling coordinator. 'The goal is to encourage residents to recycle more and, hopefully, with these new containers to bring on more customers.”

Wilch said the grant is not only to increase diversion of materials away from the landfill but also to update everyone on the city's recycling program. With the new carts, the city is also distributing pamphlets including information on how to 'recycle right,” answers to frequent questions and details about holiday recycling.

Residents are welcome to keep the old 18-gallon bins if they have another use for them, Wilch said. Otherwise, the city will offer a number of collection days to dispose of the bins.

Crews plan to collect the old, small bins curbside on regular collection days from Jan. 14 through 18 and Feb. 4 through 8. Residents can also drop them off at the city's Public Works complex, 3800 Napoleon Lane, from 3 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 16 or from 9 a.m. to noon on Feb. 9.

The bins in good condition will go to other entities like schools or farms that may need them. And the ones in poor condition will be recycled.

The new recycling carts aren't the only big changes Wilch's department has seen in the last year. Last December, residents began to use a single-stream recycling system rather than having to separate materials.

Wilch said so far the program has been running smoothly but the risk on contamination materials that can't be recycled goes up with single-stream recycling.

'What we've been doing on our end to try to keep our recycling as clean as possible,” Wilch said, adding that whenever drivers see a contaminated recycling bin, they'll leave a message as to why it wasn't picked up to help teach the public.

Earlier this year, residents also saw the introduction of composting bins. Wilch said there's been a 'wonderful demand” for composting bins, more requests than the city originally had bins.

The city responded by reallocating budget funds to purchase more compost carts, Wilch said.

For more information about Iowa City's recycling efforts, including what holiday materials can be recycled, residents can visit, icgov.org/recycling.

l Comments: (319) 339-3172; maddy.arnold@thegazette.com