Letter: Garbage, recycling plan worked in Tucson

Tuesday, July 18, 2006 | 7:30 a.m.

Regarding recent articles, letters and the Sun's July 11 editorial on the proposed plan for garbage and recycling collection, I would like to offer some insight.

Three years ago, as the waste reduction planner for Tucson, I was involved in our transition from twice-per-week garbage and every-other-week recycling service to our current once-per-week garbage and once-per-week recycling collection.

We heard the same angst from the public regarding once-per-week garbage as related to lack of garbage capacity and odors. Testing in pilot neighborhoods in Tucson showed that for most households a 95-gallon cart was plenty of room for the weekly trash. Large households can receive an additional garbage cart if needed.

As for odors, when smelly garbage is bagged and placed in a cart with a lid there is no problem. Many other desert cities, besides Tucson, are using this system without the odor problems that have some Las Vegas residents so apprehensive.

As Tony Cook stated in his July 9 article, "Garbage plan recycled," Republic Services is investing more than $85 million to make garbage collection and recycling more efficient. In the long term, this will be more cost-effective for the ratepayers, but we should also consider other benefits of increased recycling. Recyclables that are removed from the waste become commodities that are marketed throughout the world. Recycling creates jobs, saves energy and preserves natural resources.

Let the pilot neighborhoods objectively test the plan. I think you'll like it.

Wilson Hughes, Tucson

Editor's note: The writer is the waste reduction planner for the city of Tucson's Environmental Services.