Opinion: Long past time for recycling in Commerce

Recycling reduces the amount of materials that must be placed in landfills, it saves energy and natural resources and — perhaps most importantly — it gives citizens a chance to be better stewards of their planet.

Hill, to date, has not been deterred by the lack of interest at City Hall or by the city’s current garbage contractor, Waste Management. He doggedly insists that with or without Waste Management, Commerce will get curbside recycling.

Jefferson residents pay $14.25 — 25 cents less than we pay in Commerce — for weekly garbage pickup that includes curbside recycling. Like Commerce, Jefferson also gets leaf and limb pickup. Jefferson residents don’t have to recycle, but those who do not recycle still pay the full $14.25. An astounding 70 percent of Jefferson residents do participate, taking newspapers, aluminum, glass, clear plastic and aluminum foil out of the waste stream. It’s worth noting that Jefferson’s service is provided by WastePro, a company that is interested in serving Commerce but which, when the last garbage contract was negotiated, was not allowed an opportunity to bid for the city’s business.

Commerce thinks of itself as the “city on the right track,” but a community that does not offer basic recycling services cannot be considered progressive; in fact, it could be considered backwards in that regard. Newcomers to Commerce are often astounded to learn that there are no recycling services save those offered by Keep Jackson County Beautiful. In reality, the success of the KJCB paper recycling bins indicates that Commerce residents are way ahead of city government in their commitment to the environment.

Hill indicates he has the votes on the city council to implement curbside recycling. It’s time for City Hall and Waste Management to get on board and quit telling us why we can’t have recycling and start working on how to get it accomplished. Please don’t try to convince the voters that the government of Commerce is incapable of providing a basic service that the government of Jefferson has provided for years. If Waste Management can’t or won’t provide curbside recycling for what we’re already paying, we’ve given the garbage contract to the wrong company.