Fresh Loaf

MAKE IT RAIN, Y'ALL

Get pumped, crunk and amped all up in this muthafucka, recycling fans!

City Hall yesterday officially launched ReCART, Atlanta’s new “incentive-based” recycling program. If your household is one of the lucky 10,000 randomly selected to receive the 96-gallon recycling bin pictured to the right, you can start earning restaurant discounts and pharmacy deals just for tossing out your beer cans! It’s brilliant, ya drunks!

The program, a partnership between the city’s department of public works, Coca-Cola and Rehrig Pacific, is aimed at improving Atlantans’ recycling habits, helping residents save money, and making the city more sustainable. RecycleBank, the private company that manages the reward program, says similar efforts in 21 states have increased recycling program participation rates.

Depending on how much they recycle, selected households earn points which can be redeemed at local and national businesses. A department spokeswoman says local participating businesses include Radial, Zoo Atlanta, Rita’s Water Ice, Edgewood Avenue Pizza, and Six Feet Under locations.

Sounds great! One quick question: how much will it cost taxpayers?

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Greenies rejoice! The City of Atlanta is finally rolling out a long-discussed pilot program that would offer “points” that recyclers could redeem at local and national businesses.

Details are vague at the moment. A press release last week contained some incorrect information, and the specifics are being kept under wraps until the initiative’s official launch on Thursday, Oct. 29.

What we do know: The incentive-based pilot program will be operated by RecycleBank, a private company that, according to its Web site, “partners with cities and haulers to reward households for recycling.” Here’s a graphic-tastic idea of how RecycleBank’s program works. The company says its program has been shown to more than double recycling rates in 21 states and the United Kingdom. Participating national businesses include CVS, IKEA, Whole Foods, The Home Depot and Target.

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Residents tired of massive piles of waste and trash collecting at their curbs will rejoice.

From Mayor Shirley Franklin’s office:

We are pleased to inform you that beginning the week of September 14, 2009, we will resume weekly collection of household garbage, recycling, and yard trimmings. Please place your Herbie, recycling, and yard trimmings containers at the curb after 7:00 pm on the day before your collection. Remove your containers by 7:00 pm on your collection day.

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Number of Georgia rivers, lakes and streams with fish that, according to the state, people should never eat: 7

Percentage of “do-not-eat” fish advisories Georgia issued in 2008 because of mercury contamination: 74

Percentage of Chattahoochee River’s analyzed area that exceeds acceptable levels of fecal coliform bacteria: 39

Number of places in Georgia the state has deemed contaminated and harmful to humans and animals: 566

Number of illegally dumped scrap tires the state recovered in 2007: 268,000

Number of days in June that air has been considered unhealthy for sensitive groups: 2

Average pounds of trash a Georgian disposes of each day: 6.4

Average pounds of trash an average American disposes each day: 3.08

Percentage of trash Georgians toss in landfills that could be recycled: 40

Sources: Georgia Environmental Protection Division, YouGottaBeKidding.org

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Tommy Krenshaw krushes kans for no man

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs is ramping up a statewide recycling education campaign called “You Gotta Be Kidding” in which fictional characters give the idiotic reasons why they don’t recycle, only to have their MINDS BLOWN BY THE FACTS.

The state agency has unleashed the full power of the Internet to support its mission, creating a presence at Twitter, YouTube, Blogger, WordPress, Facebook, every damn thing you can imagine. That makes sense, as the campaign is targeted toward the 25- to -34-year-old demographic, one that is least likely to recycle.

After the jump, meet Tommy Krenshaw, one of the hilariously named fictional characters who lives in Atlanta. Of course, our hometown representative is a classic chatch. He wants to own waterfront property on the new planet Earthlings will colonize once we turn this one into a festering pile of broken remote controls and nonbiodegradable diapers. Tommy, WTF?!?!

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Mandatory recycling is not for Gwinnettians…

The newsdome this week has been seeped in a foreboding sense of pessimism. Riots? No money to help the unemployed? MARTA can’t catch a break? I mean, c’mon, naming your kid Adolf freaking Hitler Campbell? Even the terrorists are a big pile of collective FAIL … Lets’ see what the news holds in store for us today…

• Socialized trash is not for Suburbia … judget halts Gwinnett trash program … and the commenters are livid, “I think it is horrible to let government choose my waste service” … maybe they should do their own cespooling, too.
• Bush approves bailout for the Automakers … says consumers would be unlikely to buy cars from a bankrupt manufacturer … or one that makes shitty cars.
• “Deep Throat” dies … I mean, literally.
• Clinton-era tax break may have caused the housing bubble.
• Making a decisively controversial decision, Obama asked Pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration ceremony … and let’s just say the reaction has been strong.
• Not Third World, Green world: It seems limiting their driver’s left turns wasn’t enough, UPS is adding bike carriers … don’t let Brown do your part for you though…
• No A.J. Burnett, no Rafael Furcal … what are the Braves to do?

(Photo by kingdesmond / flickr )

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Effective Monday, January 5, City of Atlanta residents’ trash, recycling and leaf-and-limb pick ups will change.

Here are the details from Mayor Shirley Franklin’s office:

• Weekly garbage collection will continue, but on a four (4) day schedule

• Recycling and Yard Waste collection will change from weekly to every other week, on the customer’s scheduled collection day, per the attached calendar.

• Friday pickups are being absorbed within the four (4) day schedule. There are approximately 20,000 customers who currently receive Friday pick up service. A separate notice will be delivered to these customers indicating their new pick up day.

• There are approximately 5,000 customers who receive back yard pick up service. Their pick up service may or may not change depending upon their address. These customers will receive a separate notice if there are any changes to their scheduled pick up service.

For more information, contact the Public Works Customer Service Call Center at (404) 330-6333. It’s open Monday-Thursday, 8:15 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. You can also reach them via email.

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There are times in a journalist’s life when he or she feels they are simply screaming into the void. Casting information into the ether and metaphors into the vast unknown realm where ponies, wishes and jet skis go to die.

Then there are times you bring about sweeping, monumental change, and you remind yourself why you do what you do even though you live under a bridge and eat copies of your own newspaper for minimal sustenance.

Now, my friends, is one of those times.

After it originally considered scaling back its recycling and leaf-and-limb programs to offset the budget shortfall, the city today announced it will continue picking your aluminum cans as it always has. On July 7, the city discontinued its contract with Dreamsan, the private contractor that’s managed the program since 2002, and will now use city trucks to do the hauling. The move saves cash-strapped Atlanta an annual $3 million. We take full credit and if anyone says otherwise then nah nah nah.

An excerpt of the city’s announcement follows after the jump.

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One of the more bothersome consequences of having a $140 million budget shortfall is the need to cut public services to save money. Which ones, and by how much? One that was proposed – and all but certain – for the chopping block was weekly pick-up of recycling. The program was outsourced to a private company and city solons had decided that reducing the service to every other week was a good way to cut costs.

Well, it seems that new Public Works Commissioner Joe Basista has figured a way out of this looming tragedy. A recent memo to the Council from Public Works explains that the city will save $3 million by un-privatizing curbside recycling (take that free-market champions!) and that city workers will happily continue to pick up cans, bottles and newspapers every week.

Atlanta homeowners had already dodged a bullet when the Council decided against scrapping yard waste pick-up. If you need further info about trash, recycling or yard waste collection, go here.

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City of Atlanta Councilmember Carla Smith is inviting all who possess old televisions and electronic devices — what are these VCRs of which they speak? — to haul their goods down to Turner Field on April 26 and bid them adieu. As part of its Earth Day celebration, the city will be accepting all things electronic — from keyboards to stereo speakers — from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Last year, the city collected 75,583 pounds of electronic items during the one-day e-waste recycling event. First 100 folks get a Best Buy gift card. Seriously.

That same day from 9 a.m.-noon, City Council member Natalyn Archibong and residents of her district, which includes communities from East Lake to Cabbagetown, will scour the area and look for discarded tires. Since 2002, the annual event has removed more than 6,000 tires from vacant lots, waterways and the roadside. If you’re interested, head to 815 Old Flat Shoals Rd. to participate. Residents who live in the district and wish to dispose of old tires can also do so free of charge at the location.

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People For The Ethical Treatment of Empty Beer Cans is giddy.

The rest of us are nervous.

The Clermont Hotel and its property are for sale.

We do not yet know if this means the Clermont Lounge, which resides at the bottom of the hotel, is going to close.

We’ll let you know as soon as we find out.

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Pounds of trash the average American generates daily: 3.3

Pounds of trash the average Georgian generates daily: 6.6

Tons of solid waste disposed of in Atlanta in 2003: 192,363

Tons of recycling collected in 2003: 27,910

Cost of disposing Georgia’s trash in 2004: $90 million

Value of raw materials made if that trash would have been recycled: $250 million

Amount of greenhouse gases, in million metric tons, kept out of the air in 2000 because of recycling: 32.9

Tons of garbage a StarTech Plasma Converter could annihilate in one day and convert into energy: 2,000

Cost of a StarTech Plasma Converter: $250 million

Sources: Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Department of Public Works, Popular Science, National Recycling Coalition, “Georgia Statewide Waste Characterization Study,” Georgia Department of Community Affairs

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Nov. 15 — it’s not just for mourning Sherman’s torching of Atlanta. Today marks America Recycles Day, and at the National Recycling Coalition, you can take a pledge and learn how to do more to help. Atlanta is slowly taking steps to bolster its residential recycling program by requiring apartment complexes to provide containers. The next step is requiring businesses to recycle. We’ll be attending a workshop tonight that will outline how businesses can take advantage of recycling programs — expect a rundown and more info tomorrow.

In the meantime, go to the National Recycling Coalition’s site and take the pledge. According to a 2005 state report, Georgians spent $90 million the previous year disposing trash that would have been worth $250 million in raw materials were they recycled. Landfills are filling up and space is getting tight. It’s time to look into making the most of what we’ve got.

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Atlanta City Council clarified its current recycling program and passed an ordinance Monday requiring owners of multifamily complexes — defined as those consisting of six or more living units, such as apartment complexes, condominiums, townhouses and public housing — to provide larger containers to residents for recyclables. Under the new ordinance, according to a statement released by the council, recycling containers should be “capable of holding an adequate amount of recyclable waste and no less than three gallons multiplied by the number of living units in the development.”

The city lists recycling’s many benefits, such as its conservation of energy and natural resources and role in reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and pollution. The dwindling amount of space available in landfills and the cost of herding trash there also was an impetus for the tightened requirements. “More and more landfills are being closed and both the city and state of Georgia could ultimately run out of economical and logistically feasible places to dispose of its solid waste,” the city said in a statement.

The city, by law, is required to reduce 25 percent of its waste stream.

“Recycling should be made easy and convenient for all residents of multifamily dwellings, and citizens and residents of these dwellings especially in our high-rises, have expressed a strong desire and a need to recycle,” said District 8 City Councilwoman Clair Muller, the legislation’s sponsor, in a statement. “We all must do our part for the sake of our environment.”

Owners of a multifamily dwelling or neighborhood association will also be required to submit an annual report documenting the amount and type of recyclables collected, the frequency of their collection, and the size and average number of recycling containers located on their property.

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