Spring Break
Council talks some serious trash
Crystal Lindell
Issue date: 3/26/03 Section: News
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Macomb residents ascend on Monday’s council meeting to discuss garbage bag limitations
Members of Macomb City Council discussed a proposal that would put a three-bag limit on garbage day, instead of the current six-bag limit.
“The people in my ward need to learn how to pick up the garbage and put the lids on the bins before we lower the bag limit,” said Jane Coplan, 5th Ward alderman. Coplan represents the ward containing most Western Illinois University students.
Stephanie Adams, senior biology major and member of the Environmental Concerns Organization and the Campus Greens at Western, thinks the new limit would encourage residents to recycle. Three bags of garbage per pick-up day would equal up to three 40-gallon containers.
Residents of Macomb would see their monthly garbage bill go down $1.17 and $60,000 less for the city contract. It would also mean residents are charged for every bag over the set three.
“People are going to look for a 50 percent reduction of charge,” said Dave Schaab, public sector services for Waste Management, the company that handles garbage in Macomb. The $1.17 would not mean 50 percent for residents.
“We can lower the bag limit, but it is generally used at the kick start of recycling. This community already has a history of it (recycling),” Schaab said.
Tim Lobdell, 1st Ward alderman, is not in favor of the three-bag limit, but would like the city to look into sizing down the limit one bag at a time.
Michael Hays, city administrator, requested information from Waste Management outlining how much garbage and recycled material the average citizen currently puts out, as well as how programs like this are run in other college communities.
Mayor Tom Carper expressed his concern that the city spends a lot of money on citywide clean-ups, and he does not feel it is worth the risk to reduce the bag limit. Carper recommended the council not pursue this issue. No action was taken.
Members of Macomb City Council discussed a proposal that would put a three-bag limit on garbage day, instead of the current six-bag limit.
“The people in my ward need to learn how to pick up the garbage and put the lids on the bins before we lower the bag limit,” said Jane Coplan, 5th Ward alderman. Coplan represents the ward containing most Western Illinois University students.
Stephanie Adams, senior biology major and member of the Environmental Concerns Organization and the Campus Greens at Western, thinks the new limit would encourage residents to recycle. Three bags of garbage per pick-up day would equal up to three 40-gallon containers.
Residents of Macomb would see their monthly garbage bill go down $1.17 and $60,000 less for the city contract. It would also mean residents are charged for every bag over the set three.
“People are going to look for a 50 percent reduction of charge,” said Dave Schaab, public sector services for Waste Management, the company that handles garbage in Macomb. The $1.17 would not mean 50 percent for residents.
“We can lower the bag limit, but it is generally used at the kick start of recycling. This community already has a history of it (recycling),” Schaab said.
Tim Lobdell, 1st Ward alderman, is not in favor of the three-bag limit, but would like the city to look into sizing down the limit one bag at a time.
Michael Hays, city administrator, requested information from Waste Management outlining how much garbage and recycled material the average citizen currently puts out, as well as how programs like this are run in other college communities.
Mayor Tom Carper expressed his concern that the city spends a lot of money on citywide clean-ups, and he does not feel it is worth the risk to reduce the bag limit. Carper recommended the council not pursue this issue. No action was taken.
