CITY HAS RECYCLING IN THE BAG

[Anonymous]

City has recycling in the bag
Cost-free campaign targets inkjet and toner cartridges, discarded cell phones
Noblesville Wastewater Utility Director Mike Hendricks holds a plastic envelope used for recycling ink and toner cartridges and cell phones.
Noblesville Wastewater Utility customers got an extra insert in their most recent bill: a plastic bag.
It’s a key part of a new recycling program launched by the city in partnership with Waste Management and the Illinois firm CORE Recycling Concepts to recycle inkjet and toner cartridges and discarded cell phones.
Noblesville Wastewater Utility Director Mike Hendricks said Noblesville wants to reduce the number of cartridges and phones sent to landfills.
“We’re the first city in the country to do this recycling program,” Hendricks said. “We’re pretty proud to be the first municipality to get on board.”
The program is free and designed to be easy to use – the plastic bags are pre-addressed and postage-paid. People can simply seal their cartridges or cell phones into the bags and drop them into any mailbox.
In addition, the program is totally cost-free to the city, Hendricks said. CORE Recycling Concepts footed the cost of the bags, printing and postage.
Hendricks said the envelopes go directly to CORE, which cleans and reconditions the cartridges for after-market resale. Hendricks said he didn’t know how the company recycled the cell phones, but he added there is also a local source for those who want to recycle their phone units.
“Prevail also accepts cell phones to give to people at-risk,” he said. “It’s a good program and I have no problems at all if people would rather donate their phones to them. But if not, they can still drop them in the envelope and send them to CORE for recycling.”
In addition to the plastic recycling bags, the city also will provide collection boxes for businesses and homes that use larger toner cartridges. The special boxes also include free postage.
Hendricks said he was surprised to find statistics show that currently only 5 percent of printer cartridges are recycled.
“It’s a very small percentage,” he said, “and I think we have all thrown our old inkjet cartridges away at one time or another. When they are used up the trash can’s usually the closest place available.”
CORE will send feedback to city officials on the amount of response from residents and businesses participating in the program.
Hendricks added that additional recycling bags are available at all city buildings. The larger boxes are expected to arrive soon and will be located with the bags.

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November 14, 2005 at 10:09 AM