By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
Borough checking for discarded recyclables
Residents should prepare to be “tagged,” and have their garbage bags remain on display, if they choose to keep their recyclables mixed in with the rest of the trash.
In order to comply with state laws that prohibit mixing cans, cardboard and other recyclables with household trash, the borough is being stringent in tagging those garbage bags that have not separated the items. The borough has a foreman who checks on garbage bags in town to determine if recyclables have been separated, according to Department of Public Works Director Phil Petrone.
”In order for us to monitor solid waste flow, we have personnel check that people are complying with these rules,” Mr. Petrone said.
According to Mr. Petrone, garbage will not be collected until homeowners have sorted out all the recyclables.
Councilman Steve Szabo said, at the Feb. 23 Borough Council meeting, that some residents became concerned when they saw someone investigating the garbage bags they had placed out on the street. He said residents did not notice the man’s identification, and did not know why he was examining the garbage.
Mr. Petrone said there are municipal license plates on the truck the workers drive, and they carry identification with them.
”They have a borough truck,” he said.
The borough first began cracking down on garbage collection in 2008, when ordinances were approved by the council to limit the size of the containers allowed.
According to the ordinance, as approved in November, containers cannot exceed 45 gallons in capacity, and plastic bags less than 2 millimeters thick cannot exceed 35 gallons.
”This is also for the safety of our employers,” Mr. Petrone said. “We have had two serious injuries with heavy bags (in the past).”
Now, Mr. Petrone said, the borough is focusing on complying with recycling laws and ensuring that residents are not throwing out newspapers, bottles and cans with their regular trash. He said the county’s numbers in recycling were lower than was expected for the amount of residents.
”We have to monitor where people are complying,” he said. “We tag containers to make sure people are in compliance.”
State law, Mr. Petrone said, maintains that recycling bins must be available at homes and businesses.
”Recycling is not part of solid waste,” he said.
As the public works workers investigates the garbage bags left out by residents and businesses, Mr. Petrone said, they will tag bags when recyclables are left inside. The house or business, he said, gets documented and entered into a computer about the violation.
In the next week, Mr. Petrone said, the workers will check again, shaking garbage bags to determine if there are bottles or other recyclables left inside.
”There have been a lot of people tagged,” he said. “We should generate half a barrel of recycling and 45 gallons of garbage for a family of four.”
By complying with the state laws, including those concerning recycling, Mr. Petrone said, costs can be reduced in the borough.
”How do I reduce costs 10 percent?” he said. “Complying with state laws is a cost avoidance.”
The county provides pickup for recyclables on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.

