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Recycling bins are seen on the curb in an Anthem neighborhood in Henderson. Since the pilot program launched, the city has been fine-tuning it and working to address concerns through neighborhood and community meetings.
By Conor Shine (contact) 
Saturday, July 30, 2011 | 2 a.m.
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For years, residential waste in Henderson has been handled the same way. Trash is picked up twice a week. Recycling gets sorted into paper, plastic, glass and cans, and is picked up every other week.
That could all change if a pilot program the city is testing in more than a dozen neighborhoods is expanded to include the entire community.
The program aims to increase recycling by moving to weekly pickups of single-stream bins — which combine all recyclables into one container that looks like a typical trash can.
The change is working so far — recycling in the test neighborhoods has increased from 6 percent to more than 30 percent.
But easier, more frequent recycling comes with a trade-off — garbage will only be picked up once a week, which raises concerns among some residents about stinky garbage cooking in the Nevada heat.
Other residents say the new single-stream recycling bins don’t easily fit in their garages and that the larger cans are more difficult to maneuver than the individual bins, especially for the elderly.
“They’re too bulky,” said Edith Silverberg, who lives in Sun City Solera. “There’s no room for them. It doesn’t bother me having to sort out the recyclables.”
About a quarter of the city’s homes are included in the pilot, but Sun City Solera was excluded after residents opposed bringing it to their neighborhood.
City officials are pleased with the results so far and say that various resident concerns can be dealt with.
“Initially we had a lot of phone calls,” Henderson spokeswoman Kathleen Richards said.
Since the program launched, the city has been fine-tuning it and working to address concerns through neighborhood and community meetings.
“A lot of people, once they’ve gotten accustomed to it, have become supportive,” Richards said.
The pilot will end in September after a nearly yearlong test, after which the City Council will review the results and vote whether to expand it to the rest of the city.
All of Henderson’s council members and the mayor have had their neighborhoods included in the program, so they’ve been testing it firsthand in advance of their decision.
Councilwoman Debra March said she’s become a fan of single-stream after finding it makes dealing with her recyclables an easier, less time-consuming process.
“When I used to put bins out in the street, the paper and plastic tended to blow around,” she said. “Now, when I’ve got papers in my car in the garage, I just take it out and throw it away into recycling. It makes handling things quick.”
March said the program fits into Henderson’s broader goal of promoting sustainability and planning for the future.
Single-stream recycling is also being tested in other markets, including at 42,000 homes in North Las Vegas and another 10,000 homes in Las Vegas, said Bob Coyle, vice president of government affairs for Republic Services, the valley’s waste-management contractor.
“By giving them the large (recycling cart), we’re doubling the amount of recycling that can fit in the containers,” he said. “All they have to do is throw all their recyclables in there. People often say, ‘I didn’t realize how much I could really recycle.’ ”
How much less is this new recycling program costing the residents? Republic Services has cut pick ups from 130 per year (twice a week for garbage and 26 times for recycles) to 104 per year, for a substantial savings. Have they passed that cost reduction on to the residents?
Where are you going to put this Huge Black Recycling Cart ??? in the Garage ??? TO BIG... They will be outside 24~7 in front of there house ...You will see them on your block 365 days a year ... You only see the small bins once every 2 weeks for pick up... If it is not broke .. dont try to fix it ..!!!!
There are 3 sizes of trash carts and 3 sizes of recyclable carts available through Republic Services. There is the large 95-gallon, which is too big for most residential needs and *very* inconvenient to store and move, as rightly noted in these posts. There is a smaller and more manageable 65-gallon cart, and even a much smaller, household size that can be easily handled by almost anyone. I had to call Republic Services to find out about these cart sizing options. Republic thoughtlessly did not notify us single stream recycling customers in the pilot program about our options. Call Republic and tell them to get you a smaller cart. It's the least they can do.
I would not have a problem with this in our area. We only need trash pick up once a week anyway. Tired of all the paper blowing around the streets and almost no one picking it up.
They will be making less pick up's over all each year so they need to be reminded of that when the go to the city/county for a rate increase.
Good to see more people recycle with this program though. Less trash the better.
the bins fit fine if you dont have alot of JUNK in your garage. I love it, once a week pickup, recycling more, looks alot better on the street.
I am a pretty serious recycler and I want the single stream program in my neighborhood. It would be sooooo nice to have a weekly pickup. one neighborhood over has it and i am very jealous.
this is a much better fit for households with one car in the garage, probably 50% of houses; but for a two car household with a normal amount of "garage stuff", there is no room
So, if this is mandated, ie. dictated, I'll have to take one medium size cart and not recycle
and don't for a minute continue to be lemmings, the service will go down, not the price
PLEASE BRING THIS TO ZIP CODE 89107! I'd love to have it here. Plus, when more than half of the consumable products we use are recyclable, I find that the bi-weekly pickups usually have my neighbors and I cramming our bins with everything and leaves them overflowing.
We have the new system in our neighborhood and have been using it for over a year since we moved in. We love it! It is so much easier than having to sort things out, not too mention the larger bin is simpler to get to the curb.
We have plenty of room in our garage so it is not a problem. And by the looks of the neighborhood no one else has a problem with it either, none are visible outside.
We participate and we do not get any discount. But we have limits put on trash pick up. We only get one day for pick up which isn't bad but if we have extra trash they won't pick it up until bulk day. We normally don't have a lot of trash but we always have a full recycle bin every week and sometimes we could use pick up twice a week for recycle stuff. It is a good program but they haven't passed any savings to the customers. Just gave us their cans and told us we can't use any thing but there cans
We've had the program in our neighborhood for about 6 months and it's been working great! Initially there were a few homeowners who complained but the City of Henderson and Republic Services have done a great job of communicating with them. Republic Services has two different container sizes which can satisfy pretty much anyone. As for the concern with smell, we have not noticed any. Also, there is virtually no trash being blown around the neighborhood any more. The pros far outweigh the cons and I hope the city moves forward with the program.
I tried recycling, unless you pay me, I'm not doing it. Sorry, but it's a hassle and I receive nothing for doing it. I already help the planet by my rising electric bill that pays for NV energies green nonsense.
The recycling company profits off this, so why shouldn't the people who are recycling receive some type of income from it?
I originally chose to recycle, I was not part of the program. I also tried to save aluminum cans and recycle but it costs me more in gas to bring them to be recycled then I received from the recycling company.
I tried, and after seeing my power bill, I am actually less likely to do anything to help the planet. All these solar panels going up, all this recycling, and yet prices keep on rising. Fun times.
We are in the recycling program here and seen huge benefits.
I have a two car garage and with it well organized I keep both a medium size trash can and the small recycling size can in the garage with no problems.
For the record I also keep two cars in the garage, bikes, tool box, shelving for misc storage, golf clubs all without a problem.
Regarding the smell I have no issues but I also use my garbage disposal for the majority of food waist and minimal things go in the trash.
Finally the streets on trash day no longer have the same issues once had. Even though it is county and city code that trash has to be in a can many use to only put bags out that often got ripped open by the cats or winds causing trash. No longer now the streets are clean and the human scavengers that use to drive the community to steel the recyclables are no longer.
My only concern is being out of town the day that pickup is meaning the need to wait another week, but it was not the end of the world and I would take the positives from this over the one or two negatives.
I'd love to have the new program here too. Due to all of the things we recycle, we don't need more than one trash pick up a week. For those that don't because they think the company profits and you don't get a benefit, that's a cop out.
I don't really care that Republic profits, that's what private companies are supposed to do. People complain if the government gets involved and then complain if a private company profits but doesn't pass anything off to you. Please.
You don't even need the red, white and blue bins. We put the stuff out on every other Monday with normal trash bags and other bins in a different spot than the regular trash.
IF you think this program is so great, research Agenda 21. This program just (like the SMARTmeters) is designed to take control over your life by global elites. RFID chips embedded in the trash cans will steal your privacy. SMARTmeters are designed to spy on you too, they will also harm you with an electromagnetic field. Wake up, folks. Research Agenda 21 and resist this propaganda!
To 71vegas
No one is saying that Republic Services is not entitled to make a profit. The rates we have to pay are based on 130 picks-ups per year, and Republic is saying that the rates will remain the same if they make only 104 pick-ups. If the service is reduced (104 vs 130 pick-ups) the rates should be reduced accordingly.
I've been doing the three-bin recycling faithfully for over two years and I'm getting sick of it. Miss a recycle day and you've got a months worth crap piled up.
It's time to go valley-wide with this two can program. Between recycling and composting I hardly have any trash, but the recycling is out of control.
FRM,
RS would argue that it is the same amount of pick ups... 1 truck per week for trash. I truck per week for recyclables. 1 truck "every other" week for "bulk" pick up... That is 10 visits a month. Same amount of trucks coming, just more recycling truck visits. DO THE MATH!!!
We love the closed bin so the recycling doesn't blow around, and it is nice to just dump it all in, but having the trash picked up only once a week is a bummer. When it's hot, the trash just stinks to high heaven. Plus the bins are HUGE and our HOA busts our ass for not placing them exactly where they want, which isn't condusive to our space. That sucks!
One container finally--the big sorting machines have been around for years. Let's stop paying for numerous trash pick ups--I can function with one a month. and let's finally GET SOME MUFFLERS ON THOSE NOISY TRASH TRUCKS--can't they do something to reduce noise from the engines and from the lifting / dumping gears??????
I have this program, and love it! Because it's so easy, we recycle more than we throw away, usually. In the kitchen, I place a paper grocery bag next to the trash can and throw all recyclables in it. When it gets full, the whole bag goes in the bin and a new bag takes its place. As for the issue of the bins being too large, I believe that you can request smaller ones from the company. But both of ours fit in a 2-car garage with 2 cars.
I live Downtown and the so called enhanced recycle program will start in October-I was given no bins
Just to let everyone know Republice Services has weaseled their way out of collecting trash in alley ways they blame it on cable and power lines too low for their truck to drive safely the truth is the drivers of Republic Services have the need to speed to get route done why wouldn't Henderson just find a better company