WWRA: Let’s talk about bins

(Chelsea Update would like to thank Western Washtenaw recycling Authority and Laura Scriven for the information in this column.)

Let’s talk about bins.

Bins are those containers in the City of Chelsea that residents use for curbside pick-up of their recycling materials.

However, there seems to be some confusion about them.

Here is what is going on.

Bin requests were made during the summer of last year. The original deadline was September of 2012. Since that time, there have been several reorders and deliveries. In total, 1,550 recycling bins of various sizes have been ordered.

With only 20 remaining, that means there are about 1,530 bins currently being used on recycling day. I say “about” because there have been a few issues with the bins.

One issue was theft. Early on, there were a few bins that turned up missing, but new bins have been redelivered to the homes and recycling has continued.

The other issue that we have come across is residents taking bins with them when they move out of the City of Chelsea.

Since the bins are bought using money from household assessments, the bins belong to the property, not the homeowner. This means that bins stay with the home when residents move.

We currently have 20 bins held at the recycling center on Werkner Road. Of those, seven are spoken for and should be delivered in the next few days. That leaves 13 bins. If you have not received or made a request for a bin, please do so soon, as there is no current plan to order more, unless there is a need.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments please contact us at [email protected]