If you’ve had a kid in school the past decade or so, you’ve probably seen those green and yellow Abitibi dumpsters. You know, those recycling dumpsters with the big cartoon dog on them? Well, effective Jan. 1, the city started cracking down on the number of these per site, and screening.
Right now, these Abitbi dumpsters aren’t screened in like commercial dumpsters. During a recent meeting, council member Ron Natinsky told me that’s a big problem because all that recyclable paper starts flying around. After enough grumblings from neighbors, he says, the city council decided to pass a new ordinance. Now, after a set grace period, the Abitibi dumpsters are considered non-compliant.
That means these dumpsters will likely soon be removed from our neighborhood schools. I haven’t received any official word from DISD yet, but I do know that’s what’s happening at RISD’s Dallas campuses.
But this doesn’t necessarily mean our schools won’t continue recycling. RISD schools affected by the new ordinance have been enrolled in the city’s new ‘Too Good To Throw Away’ program. Like Abitibi, there will be dumpsters (I imagine these will be screened in, of course)–but unlike Abitibi, this single stream recycling program will accept more than just paper: You can also drop off plastic, glass, aluminum, tin, and steel. The city will pay 25 percent of the revenues generated from the sale of recyclables collected from each school. I’m willing to bet DISD schools will also enroll in the city program. I’m putting a call to DISD tomorrow–I’ll let you know what I find out.
