St.Petersburg finally recycles! And residents pissed off about it!

[d_legendary1]

ST. PETERSBURG — As the last major Florida city to adopt universal curbside recycling, St. Petersburg had plenty of models to copy and years to get it right.

Tampa's program has run smoothly for years. Ditto for Clearwater.

But St. Peterburg's program hasn't even started and it's already unpopular with some residents uneasy its mandatory monthly fee, large containers, and no alley pick ups.

"Get this stupid mayor out NOW!!!" said Marisa Dalla Valle in a May 5 e-mail to Mayor Rick Kriseman, one of many laments among nearly 100 emails reviewed by the Tampa Bay Times. "You have not finished hearing about this. You're an idiot."

Dalla Valle objected to the 95-gallon bright blue containers lining her street.

"I personally don't even want to see the monstrosity in my backyard or anywhere near my property," wrote Dalla Valle.

It's not just the color and size of the bins that's the problem. It's their location.

About 40 percent of residents get alley pick ups for garbage, according to the city. But the recycling trucks the city bought are too large to squeeze through the alleys. So some residents will have to push the bins across their lawns, around their houses or even the block to leave them at the street curb in front.

Residents of neighborhoods like Kenwood and Old Northeast, who have had their garbage picked up in back alleys for years, are crying foul. The bins aren't just unwieldy, they complain, but unsightly, too.

"That's what alleys are for — to keep garbage and such away from the front of the house and out of the streets," wrote Linda Dobbs, who lives on Coffee Pot Boulevard NE in a May 27 email.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/city-council-to-address-anger-over-citys-new-recycling-program/2233055

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

1. I can understand some of the annoyance.

We had 36 gallon bins I think it was, that I could leave on the back patio, then carry through the garage at the end of the week when it was time to go out, then our city decided to only pick up recycle biweekly, and issued us all those 96 gallon wheeled bins. I can't get that through the garage past the car, which is usually in the garage by the time I'm ready to take out the garbage and recycle each week, so instead I suddenly having it sitting at the side of my house, in view from the road, and have to go outside and around the house to put recycle in it, (which is even more annoying in bad weather) rather than simply opening the back door and popping stuff in.

Implementations of recycling schemes really need to take into account what is helpful to the individuals who use them, not just what is most profitable for the corporations who contract to provide the service. Otherwise people will simply start throwing more away, rather than bothering to recycle.

[d_legendary1]

2. Absolutely correct sir!

In Coral Reef where my in-laws live they get curbside pick up despite the narrow streets. Had to drive a 26-ft. truck through their community and it was a mission getting that thing in and out for some furniture they bought. The residents have every right to be P.O.ed especially since they are being inconvenienced while paying a fee to be so.

[Sancho]

3. Haha...I live in Clearwater and work in St. Pete - mountain out of a molehill.

First, some people just don't bother to recycle and just keep putting out the trash, it's not a big deal. OTOH, we've also used the small blue carry recycle boxes for years, so there are alternatives to the big barrels. It's just cheaper for a truck with a pick up arm to go down the street than 2 or 3 guys hand dumping.

It's true that old neighborhoods have narrow streets (some are cobblestone) in St. Pete, so parking is tight and trucks don't fit, but honestly, there are alternatives.

Some of the older residents would complain if you handed them a suitcase full of money!! Most downtown businesses, the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, and the public parks have all worked hard to "go green" with recycling, reclaimed water, and xeriscaping (natural plants with less fertilizer, etc.).

The older neighborhoods simply need to get on board and join the recycling movement. God knows what they will do when plastic bottles are banned! Some parts of St. Pete have bike lanes, parking spaces with charging spaces for electric cars, and recycling trash cans everywhere. It's moving in the right direction!!

The Mayor (a Democrat) is correct on this one!! Get some exercise and shove that barrel to the street! It's never cold in St. Pete. You can do it!

[Travis_0004]

4. 96 gallons is not a one size fits all soluion

65 gallons is more than I would ever need. I would rather have a smaller container.

What about the elderly who may not be able to move a 95 gallon container?

[onethatcares]

5. what happens

when there are cars parked in front of the addresses on the day of pick up? I'm in Kenwood and one side of the street always has cars parked on it.

I'd also like to see the recycling facility. This dumping all the recyclables together in the bins: aluminum, steel, glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and having it hand sorted at some warehouse is really dumb.