CITY AVERAGES OVER 50% GROWTH IN RECYCLING TONNAGE DURING FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF ZERO-SORT RECYCLING

"The
evidence to date shows that this program has been well worth the effort," said
Mayor Curtatone. "Recycling tonnage is up to nearly 1,230 tons in the first
seven months of zero-sort compared to the same seven-month period in 2009
and 2010. That means zero-sort is having the intended effect. It also means
we're hitting the targets we need to in order to maintain the most favorable
rate payment structure with our recycling contractor.  I hope we see even
better results as time goes on, but this is a great start."

"We're especially excited to see the way that East Somerville has expanded its totals," said Lutes.
"Friday pickups, which cover Ward 1, as well as parts of Wards 2 and 4, have
traditionally lagged the city as a whole. But the adoption of zero-sort has prompted
a very sharp increase in recycling by those neighborhoods.   The larger containers, the ability to mix
different kinds of recycling in one bin, and the public education effort all
seem to have had an effect."

"It's gratifying to see the way that zero-sort has
pushed more participation in recycling and increased public awareness of the
benefits," said Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane. "It shows that we need to provide
constant reminders and opportunities to be more responsible about how we manage
trash - and it shows that the public is ready to pitch in if we give them a
chance."

"I'm really happy to see East Somerville residents
getting recognition for their embrace of recycling," said Ward 1Alderman Bill
Roche. "It's part of a larger community-wide effort to improve the look and
feel of an area that's becoming increasingly desirable as a residential and
commercial location."

Lutes noted that the City's recycling contractor,
Vermont-based Casella Waste Systems, Inc., had yet to reject any Somerville recycling loads.
"If a recycling load is deemed to be contaminated by too much outside material,
the City will be charged, so it's important that residents continue to follow
the rules about what to put in the zero-sort totes," said Lutes.

"We are seeing substantial compliance with program
guidelines," Lutes said.  "However it's very
important to ensure that items like plastic bags, Styrofoam and food waste do
not go into the recycling containers. 
It's also important for residents to remember that the big blue totes are
the property of the contractor and are managed by the city.  Each one is labeled with a unique ID and has
been assigned to a specific address.  We
are asking that residents use the carts only for recycling."

Lutes explained that the August 11^th
Styrofoam Recycling Day was created to offer an alternative means to recycle an
item that was not included in the zero-sort program. "For one day only, we'll
be adding Styrofoam to the list of items that can be dropped off at our regular
household hazardous waste service days," Lutes said. (Styrofoam products are
marked with a recycling number of 6, often accompanied by the letters "PS.")

A detailed explanation of how to participate in the
zero-sort recycling program, and what materials are included, may be found
online at http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/ose.

A downloadable PDF copy of the City's 2012-13
Environmental Services Guide is available at the same web address.