It looks like curbside recycling could come to Moore soon. It would be every other week like Edmond. Not a fan of that but it’s better than nothing.


Recycling proposal presentation

Early in the meeting, the Moore city council heard a presentation from Republic Services on a proposed residential recycling program. The council seemed to like the proposition, but they also had some questions that were left unanswered.

Republic proposed an every-other-week recycling service for Moore’s single family homes, relying on homeowners to pull a recycling cart to the curb.

Republic accepts paper, plastic (Only those categorized as 1 and 2, not 3-7), aluminum, and cardboard within the curbside recycling program. Glass is not accepted, and the Moore recycling center does not accept it either.

The program relies on a mandatory fee for all Moore residents but participation will be optional, a system Republic uses in Norman, Edmond, and other cities they serve around the state.

Recycling bins will cost $4.30 per bin, per household, per month for residents. The city of Moore currently charges $7.75 per month for an additional trash cart.

Republic claims that they have a 91% participation rate in Norman and Edmond, because “People find out how easy it is to use that cart and push it to their curb.”

The council still had some questions about the program, however.

Questions from the Council

Ward 1 Council member Danielle McKenzie asked if this program could affect the city’s currently operating recycling center.

According to the Republic representative in the meeting, “Midwest City, Norman, and Edmond still have a dropoff site,” and so Moore’s current recycling program is likely to still operate if this proposal is accepted.

In fact, Moore’s recycling center just moved 1 million pounds of material last year, while a comparably-sized Midwest city was able to move 4 million pounds within the same time using Republic’s curbside recycling program.

How much is recyclable?

Council member Mark Hamm of ward 2 questioned how much of the product taken to the recycling plant is actually recycled, to no concrete answer.

“We know what’s taken, but of that, what is actually [recyclable],” he asked of Republic, and they stated that “I can give you that, and I can send that to you.”

At publication, the city has yet to receive this data.

Republic did claim in the presentation that “the trash portion runs about 25%,” and said that many will use the recycling bins as a second trash cart if not properly educated.

The service could take six months to ramp up if accepted, and Republic claims that it takes around nine months for a community to be educated on how to use the bins properly.

Continued to January 3 agenda

The City of Moore has decided to put the item on the January 3rd meeting agenda, and now calls for residents to give input to their council member.

Hamm went so far as to say that, “I would be opposed to us making this decision, I would support it being a ballot question going out to the voters and the community and letting them decide if this is something that they would want as a whole.”

If you have any opinions on curbside recycling, feel free to contact Moore city hall and the council to let them know.

- https://freepressokc.com/city-of-moore-gets-closer-to-recycling-company-decision/

Sounds good. Except maybe the fee. I don't know if OKC charges us monthly for the cart because they have a line for "trash services".

It looks like curbside recycling could come to Moore soon. It would be every other week like Edmond. Not a fan of that but it’s better than nothing. ...

OKC is only every other week (but our recycle bins are green, the color they're supposed to be, instead of Edmond's blue :p).

OKC is only every other week (but our recycle bins are green, the color they're supposed to be, instead of Edmond's blue :p).
We don't get to big green bin full in two weeks unless I go crazy on Amazon.

We don't get to big green bin full in two weeks unless I go crazy on Amazon.

Yeah, it's just two of us, and it's only half full (at most) every two weeks, unless pet supplies come in (we have food and med supplies delivered since our cat's a kidney cat and it's just easier).

When i moved from OKC to Moore last year, this was the first thing that i missed. I feel dirty and wasteful every time i put recyclables in the trash. but it's not practical to store and then transport them to the Moore center on my own. I can easily stockpile cardboard for that, but often it just doesn't happen in the bustle of life. I would love to have this back at my curb like we did in OKC. When I built my house, i build my side-of-the-house pad large enough to accommodate 3 bins, assuming we'd have a recycle one some day.

I'm disappointed that Moore has voted this down before. I'm hoping that it passes this time. Every city that does this, has a fee. They just roll it in to your bill without you seeing it. So i paid a fee in OKC and it wasn't optional either. And they've been doing it for what, 20+ years? And it got much better when they went from little Blue to Big Blue (not so much blows away when there is a lid on the thing).

So go for it Moore! Catch up with the times and let's get it!

Not sure if I like this, seems like more of a hassle. I know when I lived in Norman seemed like there was always plastic bottles on the side of the road.

Not sure if I like this, seems like more of a hassle. I know when I lived in Norman seemed like there was always plastic bottles on the side of the road.

17761

17761
Thankfully this isn’t LA where you have to worry about hobos going through your trash and potential toasters being from cybertron. Moore will be okay.

Not sure if I like this, seems like more of a hassle. I know when I lived in Norman seemed like there was always plastic bottles on the side of the road.We had a lot of loose bottles when the bins were small open top bins. Virtually none since going to the large closed top carts.

We had a lot of loose bottles when the bins were small open top bins. Virtually none since going to the large closed top carts.

this.

It’ll be up to the voters on an upcoming ballot question may 9th

https://freepressokc.com/moore-city-council-approves-recycling-ballot-measure/

YAY! I'll be VERY Happy to have curbside recycling again!

A few people put theirs out late yesterday afternoon in our area - that was a mistake with the winds last night!!:)

A few people put theirs out late yesterday afternoon in our area - that was a mistake with the winds last night!!:)A lot of people in our neighborhood put theirs out last night. Thank goodness only a couple were blown over. We got medium strong wind for only a couple minutes.

From OKC Free Press: https://freepressokc.com/moore-curbside-recycling-special-election-is-tuesday-may-9/

Go out there and vote today Moore!

already casted my vote

Yes vote cast.

it failed to pass. possible reasons why
1. they would cut back on the recycle center
2.unlike some cities Like Edmond or Norman where its opt in Moore would have been Mandatory (i think this is the biggest issue on why it did not pass nobody likes things shoved down their throats regardless on who they are)

it failed to pass. possible reasons why
1. they would cut back on the recycle center
2.unlike some cities Like Edmond or Norman where its opt in Moore would have been Mandatory (i think this is the biggest issue on why it did not pass nobody likes things shoved down their throats regardless on who they are)

Number 2 is the main reason it failed and I am glad it failed, I voted no on it

Mandatory meaning what? You are forced to recycle? Under the fines or penalties?

Mandatory meaning what? You are forced to recycle? Under the fines or penalties?

Mandatory meaning as You are forced to recycle

So disappointing.

No, you're forced to pay for the service like you do for anything else the city offers that you don't actively use (like the Fire Department).

Opting just makes it more of a pain to constantly adjust the routes for the trucks and makes it more expensive for those that are participating. Widen the base, lower the rate folks.

500K OKC residents have been doing this since the late 90s. And it's been going very well. The other burbs are catching on the wagon too. I do question the cost but break it down a bit:

~60k residents at ~$4 a month, say 250k in income each month for this. You have to pay for a second set of trucks (and gas) and drivers (benefits/etc), as well as the recycle service itself. 250k a month goes pretty fast that way. There's not going to be just one truck and one driver working their way around the city.

It only lost by 300 votes. Only had about 3500 people vote, but that's still less than what 10%? It's a matter of turnout. If this had been on a ballot with other items on a big voting day, i think it would have passed. Based on who I saw and DIDN'T see voting, it was mostly older retired folks that voted. I'll leave my personal comments regarding their views alone. Interestingly enough, the same poeple that made signs to vote against the bond, seem to have made signs to vote against this. Apparently there's a group of people that dont want Moore to do anything and to be stagnant.

So disappointing.

No, you're forced to pay for the service like you do for anything else the city offers that you don't actively use (like the Fire Department).

Opting just makes it more of a pain to constantly adjust the routes for the trucks and makes it more expensive for those that are participating. Widen the base, lower the rate folks.

500K OKC residents have been doing this since the late 90s. And it's been going very well. The other burbs are catching on the wagon too. I do question the cost but break it down a bit:

~60k residents at ~$4 a month, say 250k in income each month for this. You have to pay for a second set of trucks (and gas) and drivers (benefits/etc), as well as the recycle service itself. 250k a month goes pretty fast that way. There's not going to be just one truck and one driver working their way around the city.

It only lost by 300 votes. Only had about 3500 people vote, but that's still less than what 10%? It's a matter of turnout. If this had been on a ballot with other items on a big voting day, i think it would have passed. Based on who I saw and DIDN'T see voting, it was mostly older retired folks that voted. I'll leave my personal comments regarding their views alone. Interestingly enough, the same poeple that made signs to vote against the bond, seem to have made signs to vote against this. Apparently there's a group of people that dont want Moore to do anything and to be stagnant.

This is a copied post from Councilman Webb: I do think it’s enough. I don’t see a reason to revisit it. We have tried 3 options to offer as a result of 100s of citizens lobbying for it. As you can see, it’s a closely divided issue, and we have tried to hear the recycling coalition out, and offer plans. But I think it’s clear people are satisfied with the recycle center. It’s what I use myself, and I’m just fine with it as well.

People just need to get off their lazy butts and just go to the recycle center

This is a copied post from Councilman Webb: I do think it’s enough. I don’t see a reason to revisit it. We have tried 3 options to offer as a result of 100s of citizens lobbying for it. As you can see, it’s a closely divided issue, and we have tried to hear the recycling coalition out, and offer plans. But I think it’s clear people are satisfied with the recycle center. It’s what I use myself, and I’m just fine with it as well.

People just need to get off their lazy butts and just go to the recycle center
Or join the rest of the world and offer curbside recycling.

Or join the rest of the world and offer curbside recycling.

This. The city could also negotiate a better price for the residents. They basically just offered whatever the recylcing firm wanted and left it there, mostly allowing it to fail.

The recycling center is barely used. In no way is it a substitute for curbside single stream. It's not about getting off our "lazy butts". It's just not practical for the majority of the citizens. If it was, then that center would have to be about 100 times larger than it is to accommodate everyone.

The city keeps setting it up to fail because of the price attached to it. If they could correct that, then this would pass. I've heard over and over from people that this is why they voted against it.

This. The city could also negotiate a better price for the residents. They basically just offered whatever the recylcing firm wanted and left it there, mostly allowing it to fail.

The recycling center is barely used. In no way is it a substitute for curbside single stream. It's not about getting off our "lazy butts". It's just not practical for the majority of the citizens. If it was, then that center would have to be about 100 times larger than it is to accommodate everyone.

The city keeps setting it up to fail because of the price attached to it. If they could correct that, then this would pass. I've heard over and over from people that this is why they voted against it.
oh boy, this topic hurts me. I've been fully invested in recycling since the recycling center opened in 2013 and having a curbside option has been a big want since right about that time. We've tried 3 times to get this passed, it's very likely we'll never see this come up again, at least not for a very very long time.

The options are limited for the service and going with Republic is the easiest and cheapest option due to how large they are and how much the currently service. Moore's prices would be comparable to MWC since that is the city we are closest in size/homes. I don't think Moore could barter for much cheaper than what Republic was offering tbh but in my opinion, anything less than $5 a month would be a bargain.

There is a smaller company offering some recycling (and composting) for OKC and Norman that has launched a campaign to bring curbside recycling to Moore after the most recent vote. Unfortunately, it will be nowhere near as cheap, and they'll need a minimum number of customers obviously for it to make it worth it. You can sign up on the "interested" list and find out more information here: https://www.fertilegroundok.coop/recyclemoore

I have polled the city groups multiple times after every vote and the main reason it fails has nothing to do with the cost rather it's that everyone has to pay for the service even if you opt out. IMO Moore should have done like Edmond did, don't put it up for a vote instead just incorporate curbside recycling as part of the regular sanitation costs. Studies show four times as many people will participate when curbside is offered versus just having a recycling center and sanitation costs savings will equal out the cost. At one point Edmond was even offering a smaller trash bin since so many were recycling they didn't need a larger one any more. It's all a moot point now, much to my chagrin the voters of Moore have voted this down once again and I have accepted that.

. . .saw this last year in Tucson. . . wonder if it would/could be a "go" here. . .

https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1851491/tucson-project-turning-plastic-waste-construction-grade-building-blocks

I agree, don't put it up for vote, just do it. It's disgusting how much we throw out that could be recycled.

The contaminates and being honest about what happens to plastics, are something we all have to own. So much of the plastic that goes in there, well it ends up in a pile somewhere else in the world. So I dont want to pretend that just beacuse it goes in the blue bin, that it all works out nicely. There's a much more complex picture here where the packaging used really needs to change. And that's not going to happen unless companies are forced either by laws or by consumers demanding. it. Frankly, it's not going to happen from the consumer side because price is the all-mighty determiner for most buyers.

MWC has a lot of "don't put those in" rules that OKC doesn't, so it does make their process a bit more frustrating. Maybe we should partner with OKC instead of going on our own, and leveraging a bigger pool to work with?

. . .saw this last year in Tucson. . . wonder if it would/could be a "go" here. . .

https://fronterasdesk.org/content/1851491/tucson-project-turning-plastic-waste-construction-grade-building-blocks

I couldn't love this idea more. I wonder if the carbon footprint is less than recycling the plastics? I think it would be less, perhaps a lot less. Certainly less resources and time needed to sort the plastics.

I wonder if some kind of grant could be used to get a program off the ground with the products being used for building homes for the unhoused?

I agree, don't put it up for vote, just do it. It's disgusting how much we throw out that could be recycled.

The contaminates and being honest about what happens to plastics, are something we all have to own. So much of the plastic that goes in there, well it ends up in a pile somewhere else in the world. So I dont want to pretend that just beacuse it goes in the blue bin, that it all works out nicely. There's a much more complex picture here where the packaging used really needs to change. And that's not going to happen unless companies are forced either by laws or by consumers demanding. it. Frankly, it's not going to happen from the consumer side because price is the all-mighty determiner for most buyers.

MWC has a lot of "don't put those in" rules that OKC doesn't, so it does make their process a bit more frustrating. Maybe we should partner with OKC instead of going on our own, and leveraging a bigger pool to work with?

The most often quoted number is "roughly 70% of trash can be recycled". I dug around a lot trying to validate that number but that's not easy to do. That said, I have been recycling for over ten years now and based on our trash I'd wager that percentage is a good average. Numbers 1 & 2 plastics add up to al lot but even if zero plastics could be recycled many throw away a lot of paper, cardboard, aluminum and tin, all of which can be easily recycled.

As far as the difference between the metro's various curbside recycling programs I think the biggest difference between OKC and MWC (or Norman, Edmond, Shawnee or any of the others that use Republic) is that OKC allows for curbside glass pickup. An interesting note on that one though, OKC isn't "recycling" glass rather they are repurposing it within our landfills. As I write this I still believe the closest glass recycling plant is in Texas and the cost to ship it that far just isn't worth it. Republic has stated that it costs them money which is why they don't allow glass curbside, however they do still allow it in (some) of their drop locations.

Interesting. So what are they doing with the glass in the OKC landfill?

For it to be successful, i do think it's important that there aren't a million different things that you can or can't put in the single stream bucket. If you make it too complicated, people don't want to participate. So if OKC is taking the glass, just to remove it later, well maybe that's the right approach. I believe they are setting up some sorting facilities around town to be able to help do that pre-sort before it goes to Republic. Maybe Moore just needs a small one as well to make this work right.

The most often quoted number is "roughly 70% of trash can be recycled". I dug around a lot trying to validate that number but that's not easy to do. That said, I have been recycling for over ten years now and based on our trash I'd wager that percentage is a good average. Numbers 1 & 2 plastics add up to al lot but even if zero plastics could be recycled many throw away a lot of paper, cardboard, aluminum and tin, all of which can be easily recycled.

As far as the difference between the metro's various curbside recycling programs I think the biggest difference between OKC and MWC (or Norman, Edmond, Shawnee or any of the others that use Republic) is that OKC allows for curbside glass pickup. An interesting note on that one though, OKC isn't "recycling" glass rather they are repurposing it within our landfills. As I write this I still believe the closest glass recycling plant is in Texas and the cost to ship it that far just isn't worth it. Republic has stated that it costs them money which is why they don't allow glass curbside, however they do still allow it in (some) of their drop locations.

Dlubak glass is in Oklahoma and does recycling. They work with Fertile Ground in OKC as local glass dropoff.

Interesting. So what are they doing with the glass in the OKC landfill?

For it to be successful, i do think it's important that there aren't a million different things that you can or can't put in the single stream bucket. If you make it too complicated, people don't want to participate. So if OKC is taking the glass, just to remove it later, well maybe that's the right approach. I believe they are setting up some sorting facilities around town to be able to help do that pre-sort before it goes to Republic. Maybe Moore just needs a small one as well to make this work right.

OKC is taking the glass, crushing it and using it as an ADC (alternate daily cover) in landfills.

For those interested, Fertile Ground has launched their curbside recycling program for the City of Moore. Our bin was delivered this week. What’s acceptable is virtually the same as Moore’s recycling center with the exception that they also accept plastic number 5.

How much is that per month?

How much is that per month?

$18