Dive summary:
- Key West, Fla. is getting ready to spend $631,290 to change out the city's 13,000 small recycling bins to 65-gallon wheeled plastic carts.
- The island has an abnormally low recycling rate of 10%; other cities that have upgraded to larger bins have typically seen a generous increase in recycling.
- According to Kessler Consulting firm, the switch to larger collection bins should increase recycling rates by at least 50%.
From the article:
Other cities that have upgraded to larger recycling carts have seen a "significant increase in residential recycling rates," Gewin wrote.
Jody Smith Williams, a Key West environmentalist who would recycle no matter what, already has a 65-gallon cart and said it has made recycling much more convenient and pleasant. She decided to buy one for her home.
"They keep everything dry, out of view of nosy neighbors and hold so much more than the small bins," she said in an email Tuesday. "The wheels also make it much easier to transport to the curb and back, especially for the elderly."
