Will the new ordinance be an effective way of encouraging recycling? I would like to think it will, but the odds are not in it’s favor. The Advisory Green Council works hard to encourage recycling by the resident’s of O’Fallon. However, nothing has seemed to make a big change with the residents who do not recycle.It’s a personal choice and you can’t force people to do the right thing. It appears that about 20% of the residents take the time to separate the small percentage of garbage from the larger percentage of recyclable materials. Why don’t more residents recycle? It’s an education issue and the city and the mayor and the city council and the advisory green council and the trustees of subdivisions and the school system and the civic organizations and the boy scouts and girl scouts, etc., need to get together to promote recycling. Will this happen? Probably not. Should it happen? Of course. We have met the enemy of recycling in O’Fallon and the enemy is us.

I recycle regularly. The problem is that the divided recycle container is really two very skinny containers. It is difficult to get much in there.

Craig, call city hall at 636 240 2000 and ask for a replacement can for recycling. you can get a lot more in a single lid container. Thank you!

Craig,
If you still can’t fit all your recycling into a bin with no divider, ask for a second recycle bin. They will pick up all the recyling you can put into one or two bins. All material that is recyled stays out of the landfill and that’s how the costs stay lower.
And when those who choose not to recyle have to pay for an extra bin for their trash, maybe they will be more inclined to start recycling.
And when is O’Fallon going to clamp down on the people who put out two bins of trash and are only paying for one?

Craig, two weeks ago someone came by my house and took the divider out of my recycle can and replaced the lid. It may be that it is taking awhile for them to get to your subdivision/street. I am sure this is in preparation for the change that’s coming in Feb. (which I just found out thru this blog.)

Not picking up trash outside the container is not a change either. They were never suppose to do this. Now they are going to start enforcing it. So actually the only thing that changed is that if you want a second 96 gallon trash can you will have to pay for it (can’t remember if it was $3 or $5). Other than that it’s the exact same.

O’Fallon’s focus should be on getting the 80% of idiots to start recycling. Strange that these same people want to keep up with the Jones’ any way they can, but are missing the boat on recycling. Most Municipalities have a wheeled 160 gal. container, little bins are a dinosaur.

The significance is Perkins wanted a $3 fee increase for residents. Thought he could run it through on Hennessy’s coat tails. Who ever stopped those two thanks.

Ward1Watcher - Haney was the first to step up when he dressed down the Green committee lady in one of the workshops. Haman jumped on quickly followed by others. I’ve mentioned several times on here how Haman and Haney are working to marginalize Perkins. They had Schwentker from the beginning and now Howell is on board. That’s 4, add to that Lucas or Conley or Gardner and they have 5 and do what ever they want and Perkins will sit there making up words and getting mad that he can’t do anything. Of course this doesn’t stop City employees like I.T.I. from running around like scared children doing what he says. So he’ll still have influence, until the employees wake up, it just won’t be through ordinances.

Most of our waste is recycling. When the bin is full, the rest goes in the trash can, since we have very little garbage. This is a very short sighted policy by the city.