HOMETOWN - Rush Township has switched to curbside recycling and other municipalities may soon follow.
Curbside services started March 3, township Supervisor Robert Leibensperger said Monday.
"It's a lot more convenient and will also cut down on our municipal waste we sent to the landfill, which will reduce costs in the long term," Leibensperger said. "It's better for the environment and our economy."
The single-stream service collects all recyclables in one container. It is then sent to an advanced disposal facility, where it is sorted and reused.
About 80 percent of the township residents are participating in the free service, Leibensperger said.
"We are getting a jump start on things in the future," he added. "It seemed like the most logical way of doing things and we are looking at it that it will happen anyway. We encourage recycling so it doesn't get thrown into the environment," Leibensperger said.
For more information about recycling in Rush Township, call the municipal building at 570-668-2938 or visit www.rushtownship.org.
Schuylkill County now has 22 recycling sites in eight boroughs and 14 townships.
Under Act 101, municipalities with certain populations are required to have curbside recycling. In Schuylkill County, that means Pottsville, Shenandoah, Schuylkill Haven and Tamaqua, Lee Raring, county recycling and solid waste coordinator, said Monday.
Although not required, Minersville, Mechanicsville, Mahanoy City and Coaldale started the services through local ordinances.
Raring said he thinks more municipalities will start curbside services.
"I think it is the way to go and as more garbage contracts come up, it would be best to include (recycling)," Raring said. "It really is the way to go as far as recycling. You don't have to sort or drop it off anywhere. You just put it on the curb and it's gone."
The municipalities have three-year contracts with the county for recycling and most of them end in 2015, but either party can opt out with a month's notice.
The county has closed five recycling sites, including Rush Township, over the last four years, Raring said.
The site at McAdoo was closed because people were placing garbage and nonrecyclable items there.
"We chose to close that site," Raring said.
The Pine Grove site was closed for the same reason, but at the municipality's request.
The Hegins Township site was closed at the request of the supermarket where it was located, also because of garbage being dumped there.
"Usually the responsibility of keeping it clean falls to the township or municipality," Raring said.
The county recycles plastic, cans, cardboard, paper and glass. Plastic is sent to Cougles recycling in Hamburg and the county makes about $0.10 per pound. Glass is sent to Harsco Metals and Minerals and costs about $12 per ton.
"Glass is the only commodity that costs us money to recycle," Raring said. "I believe it is because it is so hard on the equipment and machines."
The county spends an average of $500 to $700 on recycling a month, Raring said.
The next county recycling event will be an electronic cleanup set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 19 at the Ashland Sewage Treatment Plant, 400 S. Hoffman Blvd., Ashland.
For more information, contact Raring at 570-628-1220 or visit www.co.schuylkill.pa.us.