New recycling options

I think the new recycling options suck. My street was littered with 2 liter bottles, milk cartons, and whatever else my neighbors had in their recycling cans. Through no fault of their own, the wind carried all their lightweight recyclables and trash cans everywhere. No more glass to add weight to the receptacles. Wind and the new program are not a good mix.

Here is the new pilot program as stated in this week's Administrative Report.

Personally, I can't be bothered to sort out my recyclables in four separate bins - three for Michael Brothers and one for Waste Management. I take my newspapers to the school, so that would be five bins altogether. Oh wait. I recycle my batteries at the Municipal Building and bulbs at Home Depot. What does that add up to...seven bins? No thanks. I am sorry to say this, but I am giving up on recycling glass and plastics.

This can't be good

The Discussion Agenda for Tuesday is here.

Susan Morgans has been allotted thirty minutes to discuss the recycling changes. I have been looking at property in central Florida where the regular garbage is picked up twice a week while the recycling is picked up once a week. I asked the real estate agent what is the fee and is it single stream. She looked at me with a puzzled look and said that there is no additional fee for collection and that it is single stream. Florida doesn't have a state income tax and no local taxes, only county property taxes. The millage is quite low. Now I understand why people go there to retire.

Another agenda item is the discussion of the stormwater fee. That can only mean that there will be an increase. For now, the commission agenda states that they are considering the fee to be collected annually. Again, Florida doesn't charge for a rain tax like Lebo does. Also, there are no parking meters there. Crazy, huh?

For all the trolls out there, I am still remaining in Lebo, but I now know where I am going to move when I get the heck out of here.

New recycling regulations for next year

Recycling changes loom for Mt. Lebanon, other South Hills Communities

Starting next year, Mt. Lebanon residents will be unable to throw glass and select types of plastic into their recycling bins. 

We will only be able to recycle plastics numbered 1 and 2. No glass bottles or jars will be accepted.  The article states that we can recycle cardboard. That is not entirely true. We cannot recycle pizza boxes because of the grease. I wonder about the grease in boxes containing cheese sticks, fries, or any other take out food. I think they are discriminating against pizza lovers. I'm offended.

We better not be hit with Pay as You Throw next. My recycling can is usually quite filled with glass jars and bottles. I have tried to be more mindful about recycling and now it is going to blow up in our faces. With our super duper Public Works that has gone waaaaaaaaaaay over budget and is behind six months, maybe we can have our own glass recycling program since we will have the space for it.

I'm still not over the stormwater fee. Mt. Lebanon started charging us a stormwater fee starting in 2011, so that they could control stormwater runoff in areas prone to flooding. Yeah, that's working well. Maybe we will hear more about how that million dollars a year collected every year in fees, in the September issue of mtl Magazine. We will get to see all the flood photos collected of this past June.

Western Pa. towns eye fees to control stormwater runoff

“During the past two years, I have been asked to speak at three different professional conferences on this subject and Mt. Lebanon's program,” said Mt. Lebanon municipal Manager Steve Feller. “Because of the stormwater fee, Mt. Lebanon has had the resources to initiate numerous projects to maintain and enhance the existing system and also expand the system to areas deficient of storm sewer infrastructure.”
Since Mt. Lebanon adopted the program, which raises about $1 million a year, Dormont, Whitehall and Scott have weighed potential fees, Feller said.

The bottom line is that we are paying for deficient storm sewer infrastructure while flooding is worse than ever and next we will hear that we have to pay more as we try to be green.