City Of Tulsa's Recycling System To Expand

If Tulsans embrace universal curbside recycling as much as residents in other cities, it could mean as much as a $2.5 million difference in disposal costs in the first year.

According to figures supplied to the Tulsa City Council, every truck load diverted from disposal to recycling means a $300 difference by avoiding disposal fees and instead selling the material.

1/10/2012 Related Story: Tulsa's Green Waste Rules Changing In July 

Relatively few Tulsans recycle now.

The faithful few, like Kirby Counts, was dropping off some juice bottles he's been saving at a Tulsa recycle depot.

"I get in a little trouble taking up room in the garage, but today I emptied out the garage, so I'm in good shape today," said Kirby Counts, recycler.

Michael Patton of the Metropolitan Environmental Trust says less than 20 percent of Tulsans recycle through any of the available options.

He expects the availability of recycling bins for all trash customers to increase participation and expand the volume of what's recycled.

"A lot of people only recycle their aluminum cans, they never think about recycling their newspaper or milk jug, so there's a big need to convince Tulsans of the reasons they should recycle," Patton said.

The MET operates recycling drop off centers throughout Tulsa County. City of Tulsa's curbside recycling program now is option and at extra cost.

Under the new program, every Tulsa home will be supplied a bin at no extra cost.

"If Tulsa makes it easy to recycle, Tulsans will recycle," Patton said.

Participation is voluntary, but customers who recycle the most could save money because the individual rate is determined by the amount of trash, not recyclables.

Patton says about while about 65 percent of what is in the trash is recyclable, about 40 percent of the material is easily recycled using existing programs in Tulsa.