Big Surprise: DPW Ignores Its Own Rules! Allows Residents To Do The Same!

Every few weeks, a few very large, clear plastic bags full of recycling appear in the 500 block of Rope Alley, often well before the scheduled Wednesday pickup day.  And every few weeks, without hesitation, the DPW recycling crew grabs those bags and places them in the hopper of the garbage truck with all the other recycling and plastic bags they've picked up.  Rather than place what is known as an "OOPS!  You made a mistake" sticker on each plastic bag full of recycling and leaving the bags where they are, DPW ignores its own rule which prohibits residential recycling to be placed in plastic bags.

Plastic bags are garbage, they are only to be used for bagging garbage, and they are not to be included in recycling -- neither combined with the mix nor holding the mix.  Recycling is to be put out for pickup ONLY in a reusable bin or a cardboard box. Period, end of story (I believe it's even in the city code).  Most of us have known this for years and abide by it, but our DPW encourages those who don't follow the rules to continue doing so, while giving others who see it the impression that it is okay to do the same.  Little bags, huge bags, several bags full of recycling -- DPW will take them all away, no questions asked. "They take away my neighbor's bags of recycling! I'll do the same."

It was plastic bag recycling day again 
this past Thursday (and Wednesday)

Apparently, this doesn't matter to DPW Superintendent Robert Perry, and he doesn't care whether residents are properly educated, reminded or forced to do the proper thing by keeping garbage with garbage and out of recycling.  He probably wouldn't care if everyone put their recycling in plastic bags for his DPW recycling crew to remove.  Removing the bags is so much easier and quicker than placing an annoying sticker on them!

No information on how to recycle properly!
(Also, try to read the gem of a paragraph at the top!)

Since there are no rules or guidelines for recycling on the DPW's webpage, why would any residents be expected to recycle properly and why should we think that our master communicator DPW Superintendent cares how residents prepare their recycling or if it is full of garbage?  The DPW's own rules for recycling, which indicated what can and cannot be recycled, disappeared from the DPW webpage two or three months ago.  Helpful information for residents?  Why bother!  Rules and guidelines to help residents do the right thing?  Not necessary!  Garbage in the recycling that DPW sends to the Columbia County Solid Waste Department?  Whatever!  Heck, the CCSWD probably doesn't care either.  But at least they post the recycling rules on their website!  Why do you suppose they do that?  Ask Mr. Perry (if you can find him), maybe he knows.