RECYCLING IN BLACKSBURG
All Blacksburg
Town employees and departments are committed to reducing the amount of
WASTE ("trash" or "garbage") by using a process called "Reduce
/ Reuse / Recycle".
Sustainable Blacksburg
encourages all citizens to use this same process: reduce waste before it is generated (such as, by not printing
unless necessary and avoiding unnecessary packaging); use reusable products (for example, reusable water bottles and grocery
bags); and recycle only after first
avoiding as much waste and reducing as many re yclables as possible. We believe that these principles should greatly reduce the volume of waste that
goes into our landfill and increase the reuse of valuable natural resources.
Our Town presently facilitates,
or is actively planning, three types of recycling programs: (1) Residential curbside
recycling; (2) Apartment
& Townhouse recycling; and (3) a Downtown
Business recycling plan. Note
that these blue active links will connect you to recycling information about each
of these active or planned Town programs. In addition to Town-sponsored recycling, there is one business that will pick up quantities of non-edible food waste and turn this into safe, rich compost for gardens.
Even
though there is a lot of detailed information on these websites, we know that
questions do arise from time to time about how to recycle certain items. For example, “What is NOT considered mixed paper?” and “How do I recycle compact or
straight-tube fluorescent bulbs?”
Sustainable Blacksburg wants to
help everyone to understand what can be recycled and how to do so. Please use the comments section below to ask questions or help clarify recycling in
Blacksburg.
QUESTION: In Residential Curbside Recycling (Single-Family homes and Townhouses), where are the recycled materials taken - and why?
ReplyDeleteANSWER: The Town has a contract with Waste Management Corporation to COLLECT materials for recycling, and all of these recyclables MUST be taken to the Montgomery Regional Waste Authority located in Christiansburg, Virginia. (Refer to http://www.mrswa.com/index.shtml to determine HOW to recycle different materials.) That website will also describe WHERE that facility is located.
QUESTION: What is the Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority (MRSWA)?
ReplyDeleteANSWER: Legally, this organization is an AUTHORITY – a separate entity working with jurisdictions, such as Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Montgomery County. This Authority is similar to those that provides us with our drinking water and treat our sewage. The Town of Blacksburg has signed an agreement with MRSWA that says ALL of the waste (garbage) and recyclables collected within the Blacksburg Town limits WILL be transported to the Montgomery Regional Waste Authority. Therefore, the TOB must comply with this Authority’s rules about what can be recycled and how to prepare these things for recycling.
Food Service @ VT, Krogers and many others are composting using the service of http://www.poplarmanorenterprises.com/.
ReplyDeleteI too have been impressed with how many organizations in our area have contracts with PME for removing and composting their food wastes. The list now includes some local restaurants, churches, hotels, universities, public school systems, civic centers, and grocery stores. Next time you visit one of these types of establishments, why not ask them if they have their food wastes composted?
ReplyDelete(See PME's list at http://www.poplarmanorenterprises.com/Collections.html )