Automated Cart Recycling Plan Being Recycled?

At their Tuesday, January 3rd, afternoon session, the Arlington City Council considered a change to the recycling program which proposes the use of wheeled carts to replace the current tub system. All Council members appeared to favor a pilot project to gauge community support before giving final approval.

To test citizen response, nearly 3000 homes located in seven testing areas scattered throughout the city, will be given 65-gallon wheeled recycling carts. Citizens are not required to participate but must phone the city to opt-out. The person to contact is Lorrie Anderle at 817 459-6778.

There was no discussion of the added cost to citizens at the afternoon session, but based on the original Republic Services proposal from last summer, all homeowners would pay an additional $.94 per month for trash collection.

Councilman Mel LeBlanc expressed concerns regarding who would conduct the followup survey. The City Manager suggested that the city, and not Republic Services, take that responsibility. The market test is scheduled for February 1st through March 31st. Survey methodology and what determines success or failure of the program is yet to be determined.

Both Councilman LeBlanc and Councilman Robert Rivera made the point that any market test should accurately reflect participant opinion and actual participation. They noted that since all homes in the test areas will receive wheeled carts unless they contact the city and say they don’t want one, if the number of carts delivered is used as a measure of participation and acceptance, the plan could be declared a success. Other measures, such as how many people actually used the wheeled carts, will more likely be selected by Council.

“Participation can be a nebulous thing,” LeBlanc pointed out. Survey questions “should be as non-leading as possible,” added Rivera.

If this change to the recycling program goes into effect, the cost to Arlington citizens will be $1.1 million dollars per year.