Savannah Starts Recycling on Monday

By: Alice Massimi | WSAV-TV
Published: January 02, 2009

It's not just a new year but a new page in history for the City of Savannah.
Starting on Monday the city will begin recycling.
It's been a long road to get here... Here's the breakdown of how we got to this point.
Last year Savannah City Council approved spending close to two million dollars to start up the recycling program.
For the past month the city has been handing out recycling carts to those who live within city limits.
Because this is new to so many of us we were wondering what can be put in these carts? For example what about plastic bags, glass bottles or cereal boxes?

"3 On Your Side" Community Reporter Alice Massimi headed out to the city's new recycling center today to get you some answers.

It may seem complicated at first but the city folks I talked to today are confident it's going to catch on. The hope is one day-- there will be more in your recycling bin than the trash.

It's the beginning of a new era for Savannah. No longer will everything be chucked into a garbage can...you are now encouraged to recycle.
“Everything that can be recycled can all go into one bin. That's what is so special about our program and what makes it so convenient,” explains Anne Robinson, the recycling education coordinator.
One of her jobs is to help people like me figure out what goes in the trash and what can be recycled.
‘Your mail can be recycled even if you have mail with the little plastic insert window that can be recycled as well.”
“Cardboard of course cereal boxes are acceptable telephone books, newspaper without rubber bands or plastic bags and of course magazines.”
“We’ve got steel cans, we’ve got aluminum of course we’ve got green, brown and clear glass bottles and jars, that can all be recycled.
The labels do not need to be removed, just rinse it out and recycle.
Some of what you can not recycle are plastic bags, Styrofoam containers and aerosol cans.
If you forget what can be recycled the city has placed stickers on all of the carts letting you know what can and what cant get tossed in your new cart.
If you do put the wrong items in your cart it will not be picked up. Which brings up an even more important question...when is pick up?
Your recycling will be picked up twice a month. So, if your refuse gets taken out Monday or Tuesday it will be the first and third Monday and Tuesday of the month. If it's Wednesday and Thursday it will be second and fourth Wednesday and Thursday of the month.