West Lafayette makes a big change in recycling to help finances and the environment

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - West Lafayette Mayor John Dennis helped pass out bigger, easier-to-use recycling bins to residents Wednesday.

"What we're doing is distributing these totes for free," Dennis said. "We're going to encourage recycling by having a greater volume opportunity for the citizens of West Lafayette. We look for it to be a great success."

Dennis called the new totes the final chapter in the West Lafayette recycling story. It's a story that started 30 years ago with much smaller red tubs.

"We started the recycling program by asking people to put their paper, their plastic and their aluminum cans into a small tub," Dennis said. "We asked that they separate it."

A few years ago West Lafayette changed to a co-mingled system. It let people combine all their recyclables into one bin. But the bin then became too small for all the recyclables. Now a container the size of a normal trash can fit more recyclables making it easier for residents.

"[The residents say] we don't have big enough bins," Dennis said. "We didn't want the trash blowing around the community. So they just put it in the trash bins. Now we can solve that. You have a recycling tote with a lid on it. It holds 48 gallons of recyclables."

Dennis said the new totes meet convenience needs, but now more recycling will help meet financial needs. The city will save on each ton of trash that isn't going to the landfill.

"Each truck holds between 16 and 20 tons of trash," Dennis said. "There is a per-ton cost assessed to the city. When we're taking fewer loads to the landfill it saves our taxpayers money."

"On top of that we're able to sell the recycling at about $5 a ton," West Lafayette Street Commissioner Dave Downey said. "We're taking in a little bit of revenue, and we're saving $36 a ton."

All the totes should be passed out in the next two weeks.