City to roll out automated garbage and recycling soon

As early as this fall, San Antonio residents will begin seeing the City’s new automated garbage and recycling collection system rolling into their neighborhood. As part of the City’s FY 2007 Operating Budget, City Council approved the implementation of an automated garbage and recycling collection system to be phased in throughout the city over the next three and a half years. This system has many enhancements allowing garbage and recycling collection to be more convenient for residents while improving the appearance of neighborhoods (less litter) on collection day.

With this new service, residents will be issued two 96-gallon carts; a blue cart for loose recyclables and a brown cart for bagged trash. Only the City-issued carts can only be used with this new system; therefore, any trash or recyclables placed outside the designated cart will not be collected.

Since 80 percent of garbage is recyclable, the City has expanded its curbside recycling program to accept more recyclable items. Recycling in the new blue cart will not only save space in the brown garbage cart, it will also save valuable space in area landfills. The following is a list of items that can be recycled through the City’s curbside recycling program. The City encourages you to recycle these items in the new blue cart if your neighborhood has been phased into the automated program:

• PAPER: Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, ad circulars, catalogs, phone books, paper bags, paper towel/toilet paper cores office paper, envelopes, file folders, carbonless paper, gift wrapping paper (no metallic), paper dry goods packaging with liners removed (i.e. paper boxes such as cereal, cracker, pasta, rice, and beverage cartons); flattened cardboard, paperback books (or donate). Note: A few paper clips and staples on papers are okay.

• PLASTICS #1 to #7: Plastic bottles, cups, jars and jugs, plastic food trays, tubs and bowls labeled #1 through #7 on the bottom; remove caps and lids. Look for the recycling symbol on the bottom of containers.

• PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS: Place any loose bags inside one bag and tie securely (no loose single bags).

• GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS: Bottles and jars of all colors, remove lids and rinse.

• METAL CANS AND PIE TINS: Aluminum cans, steel and tin cans, empty aerosol cans (remove nozzle), and pie tins; remove any food and rinse, no need to remove paper labels.

If you have any questions about the automated collection system, recycling or would like to obtain more recycling options, call 311 or visit www.sanantonio.gov/enviro.