Newark will begin conducting “recycling audits” during regularly scheduled recycling pickups, the city announced Tuesday.
In a press release, city officials said audits are necessary in order to improve the city’s compliance with Delaware Solid Waste Authority guidelines relating to recycling contamination.
“Delivering clean recyclable materials to the Recycle Center allows the city to avoid costly penalties imposed by DSWA when acceptable limits are exceeded,” the statement reads.
During the Thursday and Friday routes, public works employees will review container contents specifically searching for bagged recycling.
Bagged recycling has been identified as the primary contributor in contaminated truckloads delivered to the recycling center.
As a courtesy over the next two weeks, employees will empty carts completely and leave a tag on the cart with a written explanation of the error.
Beginning March 10, bagged recyclables will be removed and placed next to the refuse cart.
Other commonly misplaced items that may be identified and removed during the audit are listed below. These items should be placed in the trash cart.
- Styrofoam
- Tanglers, such as ropes or hoses
- Plastic grocery bags
- Shredded paper
“The City of Newark is committed to being a good partner in recycling to its residents as well as the state,” said Jason Winterling, Newark Public Works superintendent. “The biggest mistake we observe weekly is improperly bagged recyclables. It is our hope that this outreach and forthcoming audit helps to improve the recycling habits of our residents as well as improve the product delivered to DSWA, reducing our fines in the long term.”
Adhesive stickers have been placed on each recycle cart that visually demonstrates what is and is not considered single-stream recycling.
Residents are encouraged to contact the Public Works and Water Resources Department at 302.366.7000 if they have questions about recyclable products.
The DSWA residential recycling guidelines can also be found here.
Charlie Megginson covers government and politics for Town Square LIVE News. Reach him at (302) 344-8293 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @cmegginson4.
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