Media, PA News: Everybody's Home Page

Recycling code improvements

Aug 26

This month’s legislative session on August 15th, 2013, Media Borough Council approved a new recycling ordinance (see bottom). Reading it, most residents are probably thinking, “Isn’t this already in effect?”

The short answer is yes, it is, but not in our municipal code. We have a great recycling program in place in Media Borough – I personally put out almost two green bins of recycling a week. (By the way – if you regularly overfill your recycling container – you can purchase one at Media Borough hall for, I believe, $5 – a steal!)

We can boast recycling of #1 through #7 plastic, glass, paper, and yard waste. We compost leaves in the fall. Things are great, right?

Well, the issue comes down to the fact that while we know that most residents recycle and do their part to help keep Media sustainable, and most businesses make the effort to recycle and do their part as well, there are a few members of our community who do not recycle at all

I spent the early part of my career in California, in Silicon Valley, and there recycling was a de-facto standard in 1992 – if you didn’t recycle at your workplace it was considered shameful. The Philadelphia region and Pennsylvania, thankfully, have followed the lead of California and other states and now have curbside recycling everywhere.

Point of this is that it’s now 2013 and when I see that businesses, landlords, or residents throwing paper, cans, or other recyclables in with the regular trash, it is irresponsible.

The good news is that now that we have placed the following into Media Borough’s code – we can enforce it for those few businesses who do not recycle.

This was approved in this month’s legislative session on August 15th, which I unfortunately missed. You can check it out on YouTube.

For those who have twenty minutes of free time, I’d highly recommend The Story of Stuff which talks about “stuff” (including recycling), and how the cost of most of our “cheap” goods is, in fact, paid for by those who create it.

 

Media Borough Recycling Ordinance

WHEREAS, the Borough of Media adopted Ordinance No. 1104 of 2013 amending and restating Chapter 241 “Solid Waste,” Article VIII “Recycling Program” of the Code of the Borough; and

WHEREAS, the Ordinance allows for the co-mingling of recyclable materials and made other changes to current recycling regulations; and

WHEREAS, the Ordinance grants authority to Borough Council to establish regulations via resolution.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the following are the recyclable materials collected within the Borough of Media:

  • Glass bottles and jars (clear, green and brown)—rinse thoroughly; remove lids and neck bands
  • Metal food and beverage cans (aluminum and steel—soda, beer, pet food, soup, coffee cans, foil and foil pie tins etc.)
  • All plastics including styrofoam with triangle symbols #1 through #7—rinse off foods and soaps
  •  Paper (newspaper, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, soft cover books, old telephone books, paper bags, food boxes and office paper)
  •  Shredded paper may be placed in a clear plastic bag and set out next to your recycling bin.
  • Cardboard (corrugated and non-corrugated)
  • Yard Waste may be placed in large paper bags for collection on the first Wednesday of each month.APPROVED AND RESOLVED this 15th of August 2013.