The city of Perry has erected signs at the three recycling drop-off points, reminding residents about the rules of recycling. The signs say:
These containers are for recyclable materials only and for the use if city of Perry garbage customers only. Rural Dallas County residents must use the trailer at the secondary roads facility on Highway P58.
No garbage, glass, plastic bags, styrofoam, construction material or yard waste is allowed in the containers.
These containers are emptied daily on Monday through Friday.
If the containers are full, please use one of the other site by the police department, the rec center parking lot or the south end of the football field parking lot.
Thank you.
Translated into Spanish, the signs say:
Estos contenedores son solo para materiales reciclables y para uso exclusivo de los clientes de basura de la ciudad de Perry. Los residentes rurales del Condado de Dallas deben usar el remolque en las instalaciones de Secondary Roads en la autopista P58.
No se permite basura, vidrio, bolsas de plástico, espuma de poliestireno, material de construcción o desechos de jardín en los contenedores.
Estos contenedores se vacían diariamente de lunes a viernes.
Si los contenedores están llenos, use uno de los otros sitios del departamento de policía, el estacionamiento del centro de recreación o el extremo sur del estacionamiento del campo de fútbol.
Gracias.
The city began collecting recyclables at the centralized drop-off sites — “citizen convenience centers,” as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources calls them — in August 2018, and many residents predicted a reduction in the volume of recycling and increase in the volume of garbage as consumers chose convenience over concern for the environment.
The Perry Public Works Department is expected to report to the Perry City Council on the status of the program in the near future. In the meantime, the city and county are encouraging city and county residents to use their respective drop-off dumpsters.
“County residents should use the trailer by the county shed,” said Perry Finance Officer Susie Moorhead. “Perry residents should use the three city recycle dumpsters – by the police station, by the McCreary Center and in the football field parking lot. The three city dumpsters will be dumped by the city on a regular basis. The city of Perry has no control over the county trailer.”
I found out this spring that it costs the City of Perry almost twice as much per ton to dispose of the material in the recycling bins as it does to dispose of the garbage in the landfill. This doesn’t take into account the time and fuel used to haul the recycling to West Des Moines versus going to the Metro Park West landfill outside of Perry.
Recycling used to make money for the city, but things have now changed. China no longer wants our recycling. Why? Because we are lazy and can’t follow the rules for proper recycling. Looking at the photo above of what is being recycled. I spot three things right away that are wrong. There are plastic water bottles that still have the caps left on the top. Second is the plastic bags full of recycling materials. And last there is a box that was used to take home a pizza from the Casey’s or Circle K.
I think the city of Perry should do a better job of posting signs telling us want you can and cannot place in the dumpters. All they have are small signs painted on the sides. If you want people to do it right, then put up instructions where you can read what to do.