Trash haulers to pick up recyclables at curb

The central drop-off location behind the fire station will not be closed.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN Jr.
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LIBERTY -- Recycling has been made a little easier for township residents.
The township's two trash collection companies, Allied Waste Services and Wolford's Refuse, will pick up recyclable material at the curb of each home here. Township residents previously had to take recyclable goods to a central location behind the fire station on Logangate Road.
The first pickup date for recyclable material will be Aug. 9. Recyclable goods should be set out Aug. 8. Both companies will pick up recyclable material every two weeks after the initial pickup date.
The recycling program is free to all township residents, but there is a $20 refundable charge for the bin in which the materials are placed for pickup. Residents must call their respective trash company to sign up for the program.
Trustee Jodi Stoyak said the program shows signs of early success. She said 129 people have signed up for the program since notices were sent to homes July 7.
"The interest has been high and the board of trustees hopes this will be an ongoing, growing project. I am very excited about it," she said. "We hope this is a positive thing for the community in doing what the rest of the country is doing as far as recycling."
Fire station site
According to Stoyak, the fire department and trustees have noticed numerous problems with the centralized recycling bins behind the fire station -- primarily litter. She said trash would be left outside the bins and piles of cardboard were left even though a sign near the bins makes it clear that cardboard is not accepted.
"People have not been good about recycling at the fire station. If the bins are full they just leave things on the ground," she said.
Trustees, Stoyak said, considered shutting down the fire station drop off site. She said a new program for juveniles helped persuade township leaders to leave the site open for now.
Stoyak said there is a program for juveniles convicted of minor crimes and ordered to perform community service. Those juveniles, she said, will clean up around the recycling bins on a weekly basis.
Stoyak also said township trustees are waiting to see what the community response will be to the curbside pickup program before eliminating the drop off site behind the fire station.
jgoodwin@vindy.com