Opinion
www.SanTanSun.com
October 4 – 17, 2014
47
Community Commentary
Recycling in Chandler saves customers money BY RICK HEUMANN
Rick Heumann. Submitted photo
People are aware that recycling is good for the environment and diverts trash from our landfills. But what some might not realize is that recycling in Chandler saves money for our customers who pay for Cityprovided solid-
waste services. This past year, as a result of Chandler’s curbside collection and Recycling-Solid Waste Collection Center activity, nearly 42.5 million pounds of materials were recycled. The monies earned for recyclable materials, along with the elimination of the fee to haul and dispose of trash at the Butterfield Landfill in Mobile, equates to a savings of approximately $68 per ton. These funds help offset the costs associated with trash disposal. The outcome is savings for our customers.
Recycling is simple, and there are no additional costs for rate-paying residents who choose to participate. Most recyclable items can simply be placed in the blue recycling bins including paper, cardboard boxes, aluminum and steel cans, glass and plastic bottles, to name a few. However, larger recyclable items like tires, electronics, scrap metal, appliances and other items are accepted for drop-off at the Recycling-Solid Waste Collection Center or through a scheduled curbside bulk collection. Backyard composting is another way to divert specific household waste from the landfill. Compost is a nutrient-rich plant fertilizer created through the decay of organic materials such as yard waste and organic food scraps. Compost improves soil and plant health, conserves water and reduces the use of garden chemicals. It is viewed as a “must-have” by many avid gardeners. Through the recycling program, the City provides free compost bins for residents receiving City-provided solid waste service. The City converts previously used trash and recycle bins that were not able to be repaired and retro-fits them
to backyard compost bins. The City also offers workshops, each spring and fall, to teach a variety of tools and techniques for successful composting. The next Backyard Composting class is scheduled on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and again on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Sunset Library. The class is free, but registration is required. Residents living in multi-housing communities and county islands have an opportunity to recycle as well. The City has 17 drop-off sites for recycling materials, including the Recycling-Solid Waste Services Collection Center, 955 E. Queen Creek Rd., and 16 community parks that contain the 300-gallon blue recycle containers. Some of the reasons that people choose not to recycle involve the challenge of keeping track of when collection takes place and not knowing what is accepted in the blue bins. Many of the answers to these questions can easily be obtained through the City’s website at www.chandleraz.gov/recycle, by installing the free “My Waste” application, available
to Android and iPhone users, or by calling Solid Waste Services. I commend the residents in our community who are passionate about recycling and challenge others to join in these efforts. Recycling does make a difference to the environment and to our wallets by keeping our rates among the lowest in the Valley. The City’s Recycling Program is an example of Chandler’s commitment to create innovative ways to help reduce service costs to our residents while preserving our natural resources. If you have not participated in Chandler’s Recycling Program and would like to start, City staff is available to assist. They offer community presentations, educational resources and materials to help make the process easy. For more information about recycling, scheduling a curbside bulk collection or registering for an upcoming Backyard Composting class, call (480) 782-3510 or visit: www. chandleraz/gov/recycle. Rick Heumann is the vice mayor of Chandler.
Letters to the editor Re-elect Sen. Yarbrough Editor, I am writing to encourage your readers to re-elect Steve Yarbrough. If I had to describe Sen. Steve Yarbrough in three words it would be honest, ethical and wise. I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Yarbrough for over 20 years. I completed real estate appraisals for him when he was a practicing attorney, and I was an independent fee appraiser. He always encouraged me to offer my honest opinion and did not try to persuade me to compromise my ethics.
More recently, I have observed him in the Senate when I worked with him on a bill in my current capacity as the director of a small state agency. He has always been responsive to questions and honest about whether he can help or not. People with his knowledge and integrity are needed in our state Legislature. He consistently acts in the best interests of Arizona. I strongly encourage my fellow Legislative District 17 voters to re-elect Sen. Yarbrough. Debra Rudd Gilbert
Representative yearns for better location accuracy As a taxpayer, I expect emergency responders to be able to find and help me in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, location-accuracy standards are so outdated that when someone dials 9-1-1 from a cellphone, emergency responders don’t have the tools they need to locate them. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimates that updating our emergency response system would save roughly 10,000 lives each year. The FCC issued a rule that would
require cellphone providers to provide better location accuracy for emergency calls placed from cellphones. This would allow callers in an emergency to be located only when they dial 9-1-1 and want to be found—not to be monitored in any other way. Emergency responders and 9-1-1 dispatchers have overwhelmingly applauded the FCC’s decision to give them the tools they need to help men, women and children in danger. Each day we wait, more people are put in danger. There is no reason to wait a moment longer. Rep. Jeff Dial Arizona House of Representatives
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