tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6197942725902776726.post5560479500805225427..comments2024-03-19T02:19:59.665-07:00Comments on Centerpointe Communicator: Something Stinky, Part 2: Recycling RatesCenterpointe Moderatorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10895145672338559659noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6197942725902776726.post-77692174350146533392012-11-06T18:55:04.854-08:002012-11-06T18:55:04.854-08:00Obviously the only metric that means anything is w...Obviously the only metric that means anything is weight, but LC is not equipped to measure that at the source, so I have to look at observed participation rates as the best available proxy. <br /><br />I have a feeling that if we looked at weight, the cost-effectiveness picture would be even more bleak. I remember from living in Houston that nobody wanted to put much weight into the smaller bins that we started off using (which 99.9% of participants still use in LC), because they were so awkward to carry. So many people would throw their cardboard and lightest items into the bin and then put the heavier recyclables into the regular trash rolly because it had wheels and was easier to move!<br /><br />I haven't studied Houston's program in detail, but I do know that, when they went to automated recycling (where the truck claw picks up the rollies and dumps them without the need for direct human contact), they started watching the weights very carefully. At one point it was rumored (or maybe even claimed) that they would cut off any neighborhoods that were not making their weight goals, for the reasons given above: it's not not a good investment if large numbers of people decline to participate. And Houston also collected recycling every two weeks, not every week (those 96 gallong green rolly carts could easily hold 2 weeks worth from an average family). <br /><br />Houston city government has a reputation for being liberal, and liberal in Texas is generally stereotyped as somewhat loosey-goosey with public funds, but those Houston folk were some unforgiving pencil-pushers when it came to managing those costs. And that's the way it SHOULD be, in my opinion (and actually I believe the whole thing started under Bill White, so it's not a surprise that it was held to a high performance standard). Centerpointe Moderatorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10895145672338559659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6197942725902776726.post-57553929092428160272012-11-06T16:29:13.511-08:002012-11-06T16:29:13.511-08:00All good questions.
Participation rate can have nu...All good questions.<br />Participation rate can have nuances that need to be factored in somewhere as well - such as for folks like myself where I do recycle but don't put the bin out weekly if it's not full. <br />Would the program be better served if I put the bin out every week regardless of the amount of content? I guess it all depends what is being counted.Moonbase Alphanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07080446468703376076noreply@blogger.com