Dear Editor:
Moab Solutions respectfully requests that the mayor, city manager, assistant city manager and city council table making a decision on the recycling portion of the trash contract for the time being.
It is absolutely vital that an in-depth analysis be performed to ensure that the outcomes of instituting single-stream or source-separated, mandatory or voluntary recycling, be carefully explored before major changes are made.
There are key entities that have not been engaged with on this important decision, and multiple considerations that have yet to be addressed.
The parties need a facilitated discussion on the impacts and ramifications of single-stream versus source-separated, and mandatory versus voluntary recycling. These are very serious matters that deserve the time and attention sorely needed to reach the best solutions for Moab, with what is best for the environment and the community being the primary driver for the decision-making process.
Moab has fewer than 2,400 households. That is a very manageable number and means there are many possible alternatives.
This is much too important a step to take without careful study. We have been offered advisory support services from the chief administrator, Kym, at Grand Junction Curbside Recycling indefinitely. GJCRI has been in business for over 25 years. Kym’s experience would be invaluable to the Community Recycling Center. Darren Starr, the streets, stormwater and solid waste manager for the City of Grand Junction, has offered to advise Moab on how to successfully model partnerships that benefit all parties involved. He is closely involved with the recycling program operation and benefits, and has decades of experience. Eco-Cycle of Boulder, Colorado, can send a consultant to Moab to study our situation to provide an analysis and produce a report with recommendations for the best way to move forward.
We need to stop taking the easy way out. Single stream became popular due to its convenience, but has now been proven to produce non-marketable material and high contamination rates. Single stream kills creativity and innovation, and takes an incredibly positive action — recycling — and makes it much more like wasting.
There is a whole community of recycling enthusiasts standing behind us. There is a deep love and respect for the nonprofit that took over and ran the recycling center for almost 20 years. We need to pay homage to those who gave their blood, sweat and tears to make that center function with almost zero financial support. The community created and kept the center alive.
We ask that you give a chance for that to happen again.
Sara Melnicoff
Moab
