Officials Say Plastic Bag Recycling Has Strong Response
Effort Began Mid-December
Updated: 8:00 pm CST December 28, 2009
MADISON, Wis. -- Rules have changed when it comes to getting rid of plastic bags in Madison.City officials said that instead of residents tossing their bags into the tan garbage carts, they now must take them to one of 29 drop-off locations in the Madison area. The rules changed in the middle of December. WISC-TV reported.To be recycled, the bags must be empty, clean and dry, officials said.They said that people who use those bags to line their wastebaskets can still do so.George Dreckmann, Madison recycling coordinator, said that the response has exceeded their expectations."The use has been very good. We've been surprised at how many people have been using our sites. We expected to be having to empty our containers every two weeks, (but) we've had overflowing containers on a weekly basis," he said.There are nine city self-service locations and 20 privately-run drop-off sites, including most grocery stores as well as Walmart and Kohl's stores.Stay tuned to WISC-TV and Channel 3000 for continuing coverage.
Previous Stories:
- December 19, 2009: Madison Residents Must Recycle Plastic Bags
- June 18, 2009: Council Passes Ordinance Requiring Plastic Bag Recycling
- May 6, 2009: Proposal To Ban Throwing Away Plastic Bags Goes To Committee
- April 21, 2009: Are Paper Or Plastic Bags More Environmentally Friendly?
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