May 01, 2024

Pilot survey: More than 8 in 10 want curbside recycling

By IAN RICHARDSON

This graph compiles feedback from the 92 respondents to the recycling pilot program. Results for the question include 59 online surveys, 21 phone surveys and 12 who simply responded "yes," "no" or "maybe" to whether Creston should continue the program. According to the data, 79 respondents are in favor of curbside recycling while six said "no" and seven said "maybe." (Contributed photo)

More than 8 in 10 residents surveyed after completing a spring pilot program say they want Creston to begin offering curbside recycling citywide.

The survey followed a three-month trial for families living in the James Subdivision and on South Park, McKinley, South Stone and South Bureau streets — extending as far north as West Adams Street.

Approximately 200 residents received yellow-lidded 96-gallon receptacles from Waste Management and were able to recycle plastic, cardboard, cans and paper for curbside collection every other Tuesday. The program began in April and concluded June 30, with a survey following the program.

In the survey, which residents could complete online or by phone, 70 of 80 respondents said Creston should offer curbside recycling in the future, with five “maybes” and five “nos.”

An additional 12 called in but did not answer survey questions. Nine responded “yes” to whether they liked the program. One responded “no,” and two responded “maybe.”

Waste Management Municipal Relations Manager Mike Eischeid said the amount of feedback was “off the charts.”

“What I was told is for us to expect a 10 percent response on the survey, and Creston just blew it out of the water,” he said. “Creston was close to 50 (percent), which is just kudos to the town.”

Other questions involved how satisfied residents were with the trial process, how convenient it was, whether they received adequate information about the program and whether it encouraged them to recycle more. All responses were 80 to 90 percent positive.

In a section prompting online respondents to explain whether the program met expectations, the main drawback among reviews was the receptacles were too large and cumbersome.

In a final section asking for further questions or concerns, many asked about the potential cost.

What’s next

Cost will, in the end, be the deciding factor, said Mike Taylor, Creston city administrator.

“I think most people are interested in recycling,” Taylor said. “But it’s just what price are they interested in?”

Taylor said Creston’s contract with Waste Management for garbage pickup isn’t up until June 30 of next year. He said Creston City Council has received the results and will likely write up a sheet of requirements for the next garbage pickup contract, which may include an option to offer a bid that includes curbside recycling.

The ultimate decision for the council, Taylor said, will then be weighing the cost and deciding whether Creston residents really want to pay extra for recycling.

At this point, the specific amount it would cost per person, per month is not yet clear. Creston residents currently pay $18.50 per month for trash pickup through Waste Management.

Residents of Corning pay $26.30 per month for a combined trash and recycling pickup program through Waste Management, said Corning City Clerk Iona Allen. The program includes a 96-gallon recycling receptacle. The cost is $22.73 per month for a 35-gallon receptacle. Allen said residents paid about an extra $3.80 per month when they switched to curbside recycling in September 2011.

Osceola residents currently pay $3.65 per month extra for recycling through Jim’s Sanitation, said Osceola’s City Administrator Ty Wheeler. The city recently switched from Waste Management after going through a formal bid process in which Waste Management proposed a five-year plan that started low but ended high. Another reason for the switch, Wheeler said, was Osceola’s desire to have smaller garbage trucks on its roads.