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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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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I’ve found myself in Clayton County a lot the last two weeks. It’s an interesting place that you’ll hear more about later. But I wanted to take a moment now that Google Maps has canvassed much of metro Atlanta to point out two of the filthiest streets I’ve come across in my recent travels.

The first filthpatch isn’t in Clayton County, but in southeast Atlanta close to the airport. Simon Street is a gem off Ruby Harper Boulevard near the clear-cut remains of Gilbert Gardens Homes, an Atlanta Housing Authority project that closed several years ago. It’s nothing but empty lots. (According to an old AJC article, the former project wasn’t developed because of the airport’s expansion plans.) Follow Simon Street all the way to the back and there’s what should be an accessible road covered with broken glass and overgrown with shrubs and trees. I understand why the Google dudes didn’t drive down it. I did. It wasn’t very roomy, scenic or relaxing. The most ideal place in metro Atlanta to dispose of a body: Simon Street.

Old McDonough Road appears to be right on the DeKalb/Clayton border. I’m sure the talks between counties to decide who cleans it up are very cordial — maybe that’s why it’s in such terrible shape. It’s basically a steep road that’s littered with garbage. One part is so nasty you have to swerve around the clutter in the streets.

Both of these streets have signs that state dumping is prohibited and punishable by a fine and/or jail. Either they’re not working or were only recently posted.

Google covered most of the metro region. If you know of a nasty place, look it up and post it or send me a screenshot. Together — and with the aid of Google — we can gripe about our city.

(Screenshots from Google Street View)

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From a city of Atlanta Department of Public Works press release:

The most noticeable changes in the new solid waste collection process include:

• New collection days for most customers.
• Weekly collection of waste materials (garbage, recycling and yard waste).
• Yard waste will not be collected in plastic bags. It must be placed in paper yard waste (kraft) bags or a container clearly labeled “yard trimmings.”
• Only 5 additional bags of garbage are allowed in addition to the contents of your Herbie Curbie for garbage collection.

For additional information and to obtain your new collection day, call the DPW Customer Service Division at 404-330-6333 or click here.

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Yo, Atlanta! You’re about to see some changes in your trash service. Starting March 3, the city’s Department of Public Works will shuffle collection days for most Atlanta residents and change some policies.

According to the press release, here are the major changes you’ll see:

• New collection days for most customers

• Weekly collection of waste materials (garbage, recycling and yard waste)

• Yard waste will not be collected in plastic bags. It must be placed in paper yard waste (kraft) bags or a container clearly labeled “yard trimmings.”

• Only five additional bags of garbage are allowed in addition to the contents of your Herbie Curbie for garbage collection.

To find out your new collection day or other information, call the DPW Customer Service Division at 404-330-6333 or visit www.atlantaga.gov.

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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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