Columbus, Ohio is halting its blue bag program due to minimal participation. Replacing the program, the city is looking to beef up its use of drop boxes, which has demonstrated a much greater growth figure.
The city, in partnership with the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio and other public partnerships had tested out a number of different recycling systems to boost recovery levels. The city’s most recent push was a blue bag program that began in April 2005 through this month, in certain parts of the city. The program took in mixed recyclables that were placed in with solid waste. The material was collected by a truck during normal garbage collection routed, then sorted at a local transfer station and then sent to Rumpke Recycling for further processing.
However, in a report prepared by the city on the program after a full year of collection, the total amount of recyclables collected was slightly less than 130 tons, resulting in a diversion rate of about 1 percent.
From examining the results of the program, Columbus and SWACO determined that the diversion rate needed to make the recycling methodology cost-effective were not achieved.
While the city if quitting its blue bag program, Columbus is redirecting its energies to boosting the number of drop-off containers throughout the city, from 65 to 150. According to the city report, more than 10,000 tons of recyclables were diverted through the drop-off program that are handled by SWACO.
The report also noted that the agency’s county-wide drop-box recycling program has seen usage grow by 17 percent over the past two years, with the projected tonnage this year expected to top 9,500 tons.
While the blue bag program has not been a success, Columbus and Rumpke are working together to promote a subscription-based program that is expected to be rolled out this summer.