Municipal News

Boston Might Require Landlords to Provide Recycling

Boston’s City Council could vote at the end of July to mandate that landlords provide recycling for tenants.

Boston offers free weekly pickup for any apartment building that voluntarily offers recycling programs. Councilman Mike Ross sponsored the ordinance that would require all large apartment buildings to participate in the city-wide collection program. About 20% of Boston’s residents don’t have recycling programs available.

Slightly less than half of Boston’s 200 apartment buildings participate in the voluntary program, which accounts for some 7,000 units. While the city has convinced landlords to offer recycling programs to tenants, not all residents have easy access to recycling.

Strike Three for Kansas City Curbside Vote

A third attempt at passing an initiative for curbside recycling has been rejected by Kansas City, Mo., residents. Kansas City officials say they will offer alternatives for a curbside program that do not involve a mandatory fee.

Voters defeated the issue, 54% to 46%, in a proposal that would have cost homeowners $1.95 a month.

The service would have cost residents no more than $2.50 a month, with a cap being placed on the issue and would have served 133,000 single family and duplex units. The charge would have been in place whether the residents took advantage of it or not.

Proposition 2, as it was formally known on the ballot, was originally scheduled for April, but was moved to the busier August ballot. Previous attempts to establish curbside service failed in 1990 and 1992.

The 1990 proposal was upset by a last-minute effort by apartment dwellers. The most recent proposal exempted apartments. The 1992 effort limited residents to certain amounts of garbage, with residents being charged for any amounts exceeding the limits. The recent measure had no waste limits, but was still opposed by some advocates of fixed-income voting blocs.

Florida Suburb Launches Curbside Program

Punta Gorda, Fla., could be expanding its municipal recycling program offerings if city council approves a measure. The change would provide about 6,300 single family homes with curbside services.

The program could begin in October and would be a weekly service. The motion to gain council’s approval follows a trial run of the program to 1,200 homes.

Waste Management to Sell Australian Subsidiary

Waste Management’s international subsidiary, Waste Management International B.V., has reached an agreement to sell Pacific Waste Management, its Australian subsidiary, to Paris-based SITA for $230 million. The sale was completed in the second quarter. Pacific Waste Management currently provides services to more than 600,000 residents and 30,000 individual and commercial customers.

The sale is part of Waste Management’s strategic plan to refocus the company in its North American solid waste operations. The possible sale of other Waste Management subsidiaries is also being discussed and the company intends to use the proceeds from these transactions to reduce debt and, over time, repurchase shares and make selective tuck-in acquisitions of solid waste business in North America.

Publication Receives International Award

“Your Recycling Guide,” published by Maui Recycling Group, has received the Rotary International Public Relations Award for 1999-2000. The award was given by RI president Carlos Ravizza and presented at the Rotary District 5000 Conference on Maui.

The publication was distributed by The Maui News and through community and recycling events and provided information on local recycling opportunities and where to take recyclables. The August issue was the final issue, as the guide was discontinued when the County of Maui published its own guide in early January.