Key West Water is Green But What About Our Garbage?

Workshop on Recycling and Building a Zero Waste Community to be Held At City Hall Tonight

Are you interested in the Greening of Key West? Residents who care about how the waste of Key West is handled have the chance to learn about how garbage could be handled.

A public meeting this evening at the Key West City Hall on Green Street will offer a workshop presented by Eco Cycle Executive Director Eric Lombardi at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan 26, Old City Hall, 510 Greene St.

From my personal observations, Key West has a lot to learn and a long way to go. When I returned here after a two year absence this past December I was happily surprised to find recycle receptacles along Duval, the main drag. Key West seemed to be turning Green, I thought, happily impressed.

Then I watched the Waste Management crew gather the “single stream” glass, plastic paper and other recyclables last week. They were thrown into a standard garbage truck and crushed together. Shocked by the sight, I asked the sanitation worker, what happens to this next? It gets trucked to the mainland, he replied. How do they separate it after it’s crushed like that, I asked. “It’s not separated,” he said.

The information on the Florida Keys Green Living and Energy Education website would suggest otherwise (http://www.keysglee.com/default/index.cfm/news/how-to-recycle/#question2) but I can’t see how crushed material can be efficiently separated for recycling.

I’m hoping tonight’s workshop will answer some of those questions for me. If you have questions about what could and should happen to your garbage, you might want to attend this workshop, too. Your presence alone will send message to the local government that residents care about this issue. Hope to see you there. Meeting Details.