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New hire to bang recycling drum
Education boosts participation, and the money-losing program has lagged in both.
By LORRI HELFAND
Published February 2, 2007
LARGO - The city's struggling recycling program just got some full-time help. Citing high costs and lagging participation, Largo nearly scrapped the program last year. But, after being lobbied by pro-recycling residents, city commissioners scoffed at the idea and suggested hiring a coordinator to promote recycling instead. "We need to reconnect and let people know we have this program and how worthwhile it is for the environment," said Vice Mayor Harriet Crozier. New recycling coordinator Brenna Barrett, who started Wednesday, said that's exactly what she plans to do. Proponents of recycling say outreach efforts like this improve participation. "We have found that education is one of the most essential components of any curbside program," said Kristen Callihan, spokeswoman for the Curbside Value Partnership, which works to increase participation in curbside recycling programs. Tom Glenn, solid waste program coordinator for Clearwater, said city studies also showed a correlation between education and participation. Barrett, who previously worked as a recycling specialist for Clearwater, said she also plans to visit schools to educate children about the importance of recycling. That's what she did in Clearwater, where recycling participation is about 40 percent. Her starting salary in Largo is about $37,500 a year. About a quarter of Largo homes participate in curbside recycling. In 2003, the year the city dropped its recycling coordinator position, about 30 percent of Largo homes participated. Barrett, 23, grew up in St. Petersburg, which does not offer curbside recycling. She said her father, Earl, who routinely collected newspapers and glass, influenced her passion for recycling. "My father put everything in his Volvo and took it to the dropoff center," she said. City staff estimated that Largo could have saved about $170,000 a year if the city dropped the program. If it had done so, it would have become the only city in Pinellas without a recycling program of any kind. But the public outcry was intense. About two dozen residents wrote commissioners to beg to keep the program. "We know we're never going to make money on this, but it's the right thing to do," Crozier said. Lorri Helfand can be reached at 445-4155 or lorri@sptimes.com. Fast Facts: Recycling in Largo The city provides a 14-gallon blue recycling bin for residents who want to recycle and have their items picked up at the curb. - Recyclables include newspaper, glass clear, green and brown, aluminum cans, plastic bottles, corrugated cardboard and telephone directories. - The city also maintains two recycling dropoff centers: Starkey Road Recycling Center, 1551 Starkey Road, and Tri-City Plaza, at U.S. 19 N and East Bay Drive. If you need a blue bin, or your bin has been lost, damaged or stolen, call 587-6760.
[Last modified February 1, 2007, 23:40:23]
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