Is this recycling program a scam, or what?

The El Reno City Council has unanimously approved a “Voluntary Recycling Program” for the OEMA to run a new curbside recycling service that would entail city utility customers paying an additional $5 a month for an extra bin to put out recyclable items.

An ad promoting the program in the local newspaper was “sponsored by C2S Environmental Service, Inc.” which I can find nothing about. OEMA’s web site is pitifully absent of content, so no help there.

This program would not actually get underway until a minimum of 500 customers (suckers?) sign up for it, promising to pay the monthly fee in addition to their regular trash service cost.

Currently, the only recycling in the city is on Saturday morning from 9 to Noon, and you have to take the items to the recycling location. But there is no charge. According to (low-level) city employees I spoke to, this free service may be ended if the for-pay service is activated.

I am very skeptical about this. It sounds like a scam that OEMA has come up with to increase their profits. Obviously, they are going to collect and sort the items, and sell them. They will thus make money on both ends. Nice work if you can get it, it seems to me.

Most recycling programs include some up front costs to the municipality, I would guess. I would also think that there are some variety in how recycling programs are paid for, whether the city pays a contractor, or a contractor pays the city for the opportunity to collect items they can sell for a profit. I have no problem with some kind of business arrangement that makes sense for the entities involved.

But this seems beyond reasonable to me. If this is as scurrilous as it sounds, is the El Reno City Council a bunch of innocent dupes, are they aware of what’s going on, or are they also getting something out of it? Who’s contributing to their re-election campaigns?

I know I’m jumping to conclusions here, but I’ve never heard of this kind of set up for recycling. I wasn’t able to attend the council meeting where this was discussed. I need to go down and get a transcript to see if any substantive questions were asked by those making the decision.

The bottom line on recycling is that it SAVES the government money, not to mention the savings and other benefits to the citizenry and environment, involving land use, health, quality of life, etc.

If anyone has heard of anything like this, or has any insight, please let me know. I plan to go to the city council and/or OEMA, and write to the local paper to voice my impression and concerns, but want to have as much info as possible.

6 thoughts on “Is this recycling program a scam, or what?

  1. Dyrinda

    This arrangement isn’t too out of line; the main difference is that an outside party takes of ER’s waste needs, whereas a lot of other cities fold that into a municipal department. There’s an extra fee figured in either way. The containers cost money and so does the extra manpower and equipment.

    I’ve gotten familiar with this because Mustang is looking to add curbside recycling. Surveys are supposed to go out with utility bills in the coming months asking residents if they’re willing to foot a $3 a month fee for curbside recycling.

    Residents turned it down four years ago, but since then a volunteer recycling program has gained a foothold and has been getting the word out about recycling. One the organizers told me she’d love to be put out of business by this. It would be a real step forward, she says.

    What’s interesting about the ER proposal is this minimum signup. Will they only service homes that voluntarily sign up? Or does the fee go into effect the moment the magic 500 is hit? Knowing how city politics normally goes down in my old stomping grounds (workwise), I imagine the latter will result in torches and pitchforks.

    I wouldn’t blame them. ER utility bills are already among the highest in the county.

    Keep us up to date!

  2. Dyrinda

    This arrangement isn’t too out of line; the main difference is that an outside party takes of ER’s waste needs, whereas a lot of other cities fold that into a municipal department. There’s an extra fee figured in either way. The containers cost money and so does the extra manpower and equipment.

    I’ve gotten familiar with this because Mustang is looking to add curbside recycling. Surveys are supposed to go out with utility bills in the coming months asking residents if they’re willing to foot a $3 a month fee for curbside recycling.

    Residents turned it down four years ago, but since then a volunteer recycling program has gained a foothold and has been getting the word out about recycling. One the organizers told me she’d love to be put out of business by this. It would be a real step forward, she says.

    What’s interesting about the ER proposal is this minimum signup. Will they only service homes that voluntarily sign up? Or does the fee go into effect the moment the magic 500 is hit? Knowing how city politics normally goes down in my old stomping grounds (workwise), I imagine the latter will result in torches and pitchforks.

    I wouldn’t blame them. ER utility bills are already among the highest in the county.

    Keep us up to date!

  3. Rena Post author

    Thanks for your info, Dyrinda. The only recycling pickup would be at those households paying the fee. No wonder it’s high per household — what a wasteful, inefficient system.

  4. Rena Post author

    Thanks for your info, Dyrinda. The only recycling pickup would be at those households paying the fee. No wonder it’s high per household — what a wasteful, inefficient system.

  5. Geoff

    The 500 minimum will ensure that OEMA can operate the service not at a loss. They are also the same company that operates the regular weekly curbside trash service. Yes, they will only service those who have paid the fee as they will be the only ones to recieve the special recycling poly carts. I know many other cities have an additional fee for recycling but if there was an attempt to make this a mandatory fee there would be an uproar.

    The $5 monthly fee will be added to the monthly city utility bill, which already includes water, sewer, and trash.

    While it’s not the best system, it’s a start. As far as the free saturday morning drop off service, i don’t know if it will be continued, however, recycling can be dropped at the OEMA offices M-F, 8-5, which has proven more convenient than Saturdays for some of us.

  6. Geoff

    The 500 minimum will ensure that OEMA can operate the service not at a loss. They are also the same company that operates the regular weekly curbside trash service. Yes, they will only service those who have paid the fee as they will be the only ones to recieve the special recycling poly carts. I know many other cities have an additional fee for recycling but if there was an attempt to make this a mandatory fee there would be an uproar.

    The $5 monthly fee will be added to the monthly city utility bill, which already includes water, sewer, and trash.

    While it’s not the best system, it’s a start. As far as the free saturday morning drop off service, i don’t know if it will be continued, however, recycling can be dropped at the OEMA offices M-F, 8-5, which has proven more convenient than Saturdays for some of us.

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