Weekly collection, single-stream system among changes to Phila. recycling

Recycle mania isn't just taking over on campus - it's taking Philadelphia by storm too.

Over the last three years, the city has been working to improve its recycling rates, which have been the second-lowest among those of American cities.

The first initiative was changing to single-stream recycling - putting all recyclable materials into one bin that is then separated by the city.

Now, as of Jan. 5, the city has changed its collection time from once every two weeks to once a week, in order to make it even easier for residents to make recycling a part of everyday life.

So far, officials say the city's efforts have been successful. Deputy Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams said the city's diversion rate - the amount of trash that is diverted out of the waste stream - is now almost 11 percent, practically double the rate in 2006.

"We are catching up to New York, which has a 14-percent diversion rate," Williams said.

Philadelphia's future goal is a 20-to-25-percent diversion rate, matching many midwest and west coast cities, according to Scott McGrath, the recycling coordinator of the Streets Department's Sanitation division.

He added that city residents are doing an "outstanding" job - this month, during off-peak trash season, there have been 1,700 tons of recyclable material, the "highest ever."

The city's future plans include educating residents about recycling and creating incentives through a recycle bank that will reward participants with coupons.

McGrath explained that the new weekly program adds convenience because people can bring out their recycling the same day they bring out their other trash.

He added that the city is also restarting a media campaign to remind residents to put out their recycling every week so people become accustomed to it.

The city also plans to use compactor trucks for recycling, "so if people see the same kind of truck picking up their recycling, they don't have to worry," McGrath added.

University City has made particularly strong progress, he said. The diversion rate has risen from about 6.5 percent a year ago to about 10 percent now.

Penn students have also noticed the strength of the city's recycling initiatives.

College sophomore Darren Sinatro compared Philadelphia's system with that of his hometown in Westchester, N.Y.

While his hometown only allows him to recycle low-level plastics, "here in the Radian, they can take plastics from levels one through six, and it's all the same," he said.

Penn, however, uses a different recycling system than the rest of the city, said Jenna Stahl, a College sophomore and cProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0

chairwoman of Penn Environmental Group.

The University collects only plastics levels one and two on campus, Stahl said.

She advocated for increased awareness of the cause through campaigns such as RecycleMania, which "motivates people to make recycling a part of their schedule," she said.

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