Mayor Stimpson Applauds City Council for Approving New Recycling Program

Jul 18th, 2017

Mayor Stimpson is applauding the City Council's collaboration with the Administration to establish a new community recycling program in the City of Mobile. The City Council approved two contracts to begin the progressive program during Tuesday's regular City Council meeting.

"I want to thank the City Council for collaborating with us to create a cleaner, greener community," said Mayor Stimpson. "In the past, the City has simply not devoted enough resources or attention to recycling, but that is all about to change. Our ultimate goal is to create a more robust recycling program while eliminating litter throughout our City. When recycling is more convenient and less confusing, more people recycle and people who recycle are less tolerant of litter."

One contract was for the hauling services to deliver recyclables from Mobile's recycling locations to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF), a $10.6 Million Materials Recycle Facility recently constructed in Escambia County. The other contract was for the MRF to accept and process the material.

The City is joining five other community recycling programs to establish a regional recovery area that will feed into the MRF. The recycled product will later be used by regional industries.

Nationally, more than 34 percent of municipal solid waste is diverted from landfills through recycling efforts. Mobile's diversion rate is at a dismal 6 percent. To increase the rate of recycling, the City is transitioning to a single stream method to create a more accessible, less burdensome experience for citizens, because they will no longer be required to sort their recyclables.

There are now two recycling drop off locations at the West Administrative Complex in Langan Park, across Museum Drive from the Mobile Museum of Art and behind MPD Headquarters off Pinehill Drive with more locations to be offered in the future. Hours of operation are from 7 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, and 7 am to 4 pm, Saturday through Sunday. Accepted Recyclable Material include Glass, Newspaper & Inserts, Cardboard, Magazines & Catalogs, Junk Mail & Envelopes, Paper Bags & Phone Books, Colored Papers, Aluminum Cans & Lids, Tin/Steel Cans & Lids, Metal Pots & Pans, Pet Food Cans, Plastic Produce Clamshells, Plastic Milk Jugs, Cereal Boxes, Foil Baking Pans, Cardboard Egg cartons, Dry Pet Food Bags, Pizza Boxes, Tin Foil, Plastic Bottles and Plastics No. 1-7.