The push for Recycling in Chatham County

The City of Savannah says so far its curbside recycling program is a success. Last month they collected close to five hundred tons of recyclables.
Some other cities like Port Wentworth have followed suit but for some reason the county has not.
Now the same group who made curbside recycling a reality in Savannah is hoping to do the same in the county.
"3 On Your Side" Community Reporter Alice Massimi spoke with the group about their effort.

Karen Grainey and Stacey Kronquest are determined. After working nearly four years to make curbside recycling a reality in Savannah they're not letting anything stop them in their new venture....curbside recycling in Chatham County.
“I want to feel like our community is stepping up to the plate and doing things the way you're supposed to do them to protect our environment,” says Grainey a longtime environmental activist. For a year now they've met with county officials and spoken with commissioners but…
“We got very, very little response,” says a frustrated Grainey.
So if talks and meetings don't cut it, maybe an online petition will do the trick.....one that already has close to a thousand signatures.
“The county has the money they just don't have the political will. So this petition is to let them know they need to look out for their constituents and follow what services they want their county to provide,” explains Kronquest.
Chatham County Commission Chairman Pete Liakakis says he wants recycling but the cost is the main deterrent.
“It looked like it was just too much money for the citizens to have to pay for that recycling especially in these economic times that we have, “ says Liakakis.
Karen argues no matter what the state of the economy we always need to be good stewards of our environment.
“We have a beautiful environment here and we benefit from it and we need to take care of it,” points out Karen.

On the same day the county tabled a resolution for curbside recycling they approved a resolution to become one of the greenest counties in the state.
It seems like a contradiction but the county points out they are building a recycling drop off center that will open in April. But studies say drop off centers have lower participation rates and people who don't have a car or a way to transport their recyclable are out of luck.
It's estimated it will cost each household about 170 dollars a year for trash and recycling pickup which we found is a hundred dollars cheaper than how much city residents currently pay.
It's important to note if Karen and Stacey get fifteen thousand signatures, by law it will have to be voted on in the next general election.

For more information: http://recyclechatham.org/
View the Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/GreenCty/petition.html
To Sign the Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/GreenCty/petition-sign.html