Don't Norman our Moore... (Part 1)

Curbside recycling is a FLOP not only in Oklahoma City, but, also in the "People's Republic of Norman" too !

All one has to do is to drive around in Norman and see how many households are doing curbside recycling !

Moore mayor vows to try
again on curbside recycling

By M. Scott Carter

MOORE — Even though he wasn’t too successful during the last city council meeting, Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis said he would try again to establish a curbside recycling program.

“It didn’t happen this time,” he said. “But I believe, eventually, it will.”

Modeled after programs in Norman and Oklahoma City, Moore’s program would have cost between $1.56 to $3 per month and allowed residents to recycle at the curb, Lewis said. Residents weren’t required to participate; however, the fee would be applied to everyone.

Organized opposition at the July city council meeting killed the idea.

But just for now.

“We’ve been talking about doing curbside recycling before,” Lewis said. “There’s been a lot of discussion, but the council has had other priorities.”

But, like many other issues city leaders deal with, Lewis said the issue of recycling won’t “just go away.”

“Japan recycles about 90 percent of its trash,” he said. “They are so successful because their programs are mandatory. It’s the same in cities like Seattle, after a while the programs become mandatory.”

Eventually, Lewis said, the city will have to address the recycling issue, just like problems with its outdated sewage treatment plant.

“Right now we’re under an EPA consent order on our sewage plant,” he said. “And while our sewage rates are stable, I can almost assure you they will have to be increased. It’s like everything else right now. We’ll see some type of increase in the next year; there’s only so much we can absorb.”

Lewis said that same logic applies to the recycling debate.

“After so long things fill up,” he said. “And there’s nothing you can do.”

He noted that many residents make use of the waste dump near Interstate 240 and Bryant Avenue, but predicted that “more sooner than later” that disposal facility will be at capacity and residents will have to find another site to dispose of their refuse.

“A hunk of Oklahoma City and a good portion of Moore is already buried there,” he said. “All the rubble after the tornadoes. Originally it (the dump) was supposed to have a 50-year capability, but I believe it’s down to about 15 years. It’s going to fill up quickly.”

And with no space for dumping, Lewis said, some type of curbside recycling will become mandatory.

“One of the arguments is that recycling saves fuel,” he said. “I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of tons of plastic bottles in that landfill — and it took millions of gallons of fuel to create those. It’s cheaper to recycle than to create from scratch.”

But convincing voters will be difficult.

“Getting a program developed isn’t going to happen right away,” he said. “And right now we don’t want to make it mandatory; the timing’s wrong.”

Instead, Lewis said city officials were “working with the business community” to put out recycle bins and encourage voluntary recycling. “We still push people toward recycling. We have a lot of participation in Moore. For example, we have a lot of people that recycle newspapers.”

Still, Lewis predicts that eventually, Moore will be forced to do what other cities have done and develop a mandatory curbside program.

“It’s a good idea,” he said. “Recycling is just one of those thing it will have to be done because resources will be so scarce. We haven’t given up on a curbside program, we’re just going to phase it in. The city may have to subsidize it to get it started, but, eventually, it will become mandatory.”

M. Scott Carter 366-354 scarter@normantranscript.com