I am writing in support of a single stream recycling program for Mower County. The single stream container’s lid prevents the recycling materials from being blown around the neighborhood on gusty days, an all too common sight in my neighborhood every other Friday. Single stream is easy to understand, easy to use, and most importantly boosts recycling rates in areas where it is adopted.

The other disappointment with the current system is the lack of things that are able to be recycled. I was upset and confused after our first recycling pick up, I found that half of my plastic refuse was not taken. I took the remaining plastic to the recycling center to get clarification on why. I was stunned to find that so many types of plastic (anything other that 1 or 2) were not able to be recycled in Mower. Even worse, half of the 1 2 plastic we use are butter, yogurt, fruit and fresh berry containers, which I was informed are not recyclable because they are not “bottle shaped.” I was stunned that the strawberry container I was holding, itself already made up mostly of recycled plastic, would not be able to be re-recycled due to its shape.

I am convinced that many well-intentioned residents in our county have grown frustrated with the rules and sorting of the current recycling system and have abandoned it, which only leads to wasted resources and more trash going to our landfill than is needed. A single stream recycling system, picked up weekly, is the perfect solution and the one our community deserves.

Michael Postma,

Austin