Don't back off from curbside (03/07/07)

No one likes a price increase, and when costs jump by more than 50 percent, sticker shock is inevitable.

So the reaction by the Portland Board of Works to a proposed $50,000 a year hike in recycling services was completely understandable, at least at first glance.

But keep in mind that Waste Management, the company which now provides curbside recycling services in Portland at a cost of $86,400 per year, hasn't raised its price since 1998. That's nearly a decade without an increase, something that's virtually unheard of these days.

In retrospect, it might have been easier to take if the cost of curbside recycling had been raised gradually; but it's hard to grumble when we've been operating all this time at 1998 prices.

The city's response makes sense, so far. It's seeking competitive bids for the service, just as it did back in 1998 when Waste Management won the contract.

What doesn't make sense is the notion of giving up curbside recycling entirely. Board of works members have floated the idea of drop-off recycling sites instead of curbside pick-up.

That would be a significant step backwards for the city of Portland, both in terms of the environment and the quality of life in the community.

There's no doubt that the volume of material recycled would shrink if drop-off points were substituted for curbside pick-up. That's just human nature.

Recyclables would simply end up in the trash being collected by city crews, increasing the volume of local material going to the landfill.

By all means, get competitive bids on the service. But don't back away from curbside recycling. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]