Battle builds over green in Plymouth

Plymouth had hoped to go greener with its recycling program. It hadn't counted on the backlash from residents concerned about cost and changes to their recycling routine.

The battle began with a letter from Plymouth's current recycler to residents, escalated into more than 1,100 calls and e-mails to city officials, and peaked at a packed four-hour meeting Tuesday night.

In the end, the City Council backed away from a new recycling contract with Twin Cities-based Eureka Recycling. It will revisit all five proposals it had received from three contractors, including Eureka, at a meeting in September.

"I heard you," Council Member Sandy Hewitt told residents Tuesday night. She had voted last month to prepare the contract with Eureka, but on Tuesday she said she would not approve it.

The contract would cost about $400,000 more over three years than a proposal from Waste Management -- the city's currently recycler -- but would allow more people to recycle more things.

On one side, cost and convenience. On the other, the environment.

"In my view, in this case, the inconveniences are trumped by doing what's right and responsible," said resident Ted Olson.

"People need to understand that none of us who are against the contract are against recycling," said resident Danna Smishek. "But ... I think we're all aware that we need to save money, too."

Those who favored Eureka -- which serves several cities, including St. Paul, Roseville and soon St. Louis Park -- pointed to the percentage of materials picked up that actually get recycled. Waste Management has said that it ends up recycling all but 5 to 6 percent. Eureka has said that it recycles all but 1 to 2 percent.

Eureka also recycles more things, including juice boxes, milk cartons, clothes and shoes. But some residents said they don't use juice boxes and can give their clothes away.

And there was much discussion about when and how often Eureka's trucks, which run on bio-diesel, would make pickups. Eureka would make five days a week, Waste Management three days.

"I don't see this as this great, wonderful thing we're doing for the environment," said Mayor Kelli Slavik, who voted against drawing up the contract with Eureka back in July.

Both recycling providers say they'd get a greater number of people to recycle -- Eureka by doing education and outreach, Waste Management by not requiring residents to sort materials into two categories.

Much of that argument mirrors one within the recycling community at large: To sort or not to sort.

Although not truly a "single-stream" system, Waste Management combines all materials in its truck, so about 50 percent of its Plymouth clients have done the same when depositing their recyclables at the curbside, a Waste Management spokeswoman said.

If residents are allowed throw it all in one bin, the company argues, more choose to recycle.

With Eureka, residents must sort their recyclables into two categories -- paper and containers. The hauler collects them in separate compartments on trucks, and the materials are processed separately.

Letters fed opposition

Much of the backlash to the contract was fueled by two letters Waste Management sent to residents. They warned that Eureka's proposal would require residents to sort their recyclables and to put them out on a different day than their trash -- all while costing more money.

City staff have said the letters left out key information. At the meeting, Hewitt admonished Waste Management for sending them, raising her voice and pounding her finger.

"If I ... ran government as a business, you'd be fired. On the spot," she said. "It was very inappropriate what you did."

Eureka Co-president Tim Brownell, who in the past had chosen not to respond to Waste Management's letters, also had tough words for his competitor on Wednesday: