(This is the first of a regular column by new WWRA education coordinator Laura Scriven.)
Hello Chelsea:
My name is Laura Scriven and I have just started as the education coordinator at Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority (WWRA). I will be writing a weekly article to inform, educate, and discuss recycling matters at WWRA, and use this space to update the community with progress, answer questions and give tips on ways to increase and improve recycling.
As I hope everyone knows, WWRA has started single-stream recycling. This means that all recycling can be co-mingled in one or more containers, and the materials will be sorted at the recycling center on Werkner Road.
The new system sorts the material automatically with employees checking and monitoring for missed items. It’s not only more efficient, but also can handle much more material on a daily basis. For WWRA, this means more material can be processed and sold.
With this change there has been an issue affecting those who live in Chelsea – namely, the availability of recycling bins or carts. Some of you who received a bin, might have found that it was the wrong size for your needs. There is a long lead-time to purchase the containers, so before the new process began, we sent out fliers with a deadline for placing an order.
WWRA ordered approximately 25 percent more containers than the number of requests received, and we also continued to place people on the delivery list after the deadline. When they arrived, the containers were delivered in the order that the requests were received — until they were all delivered. And, that took some time.
WWRA intends to provide bins or carts to all households that request them, but they will not arrive until mid-January. So in the meantime, please place all recyclables in any available containers, and we will continue to pick them up until the new bins have been delivered.
As a reminder, please do not place bins or carts on the street as they pose a hazard for vehicles. Please place them on the curb setback, or apron of your drive.
Lastly, please do not call the City of Chelsea with recycling concerns as the city has no control over, and is not connected with, WWRA.
If you have questions you’d like answered about recycling and the new single-stream system, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
