7,000 Toters headed to Muncie to replace blue bags
'Wish-cycling' instead of recycling is an issue, as is 'Amazon effect'
MUNCIE — The Muncie Sanitary District is taking steps to address “wish-cycling,” the “Amazon effect” and other recycling problems.
The extraordinary increase of cardboard waste generated by online shopping has been called “the Amazon effect,” while “wish-cycling” is when you try to recycle something that is not recyclable — like plastic bags, greasy pizza boxes or wrapping paper with bows, tape and ribbons still attached.
The district last month was awarded a $468,798 state grant to help it buy 7,000 more Toters and two more trash trucks that will enable it to end the longtime blue-bag recycling program.
In the coming months, residents wanting to recycle can sign up to receive one of the new blue Toters, a two-wheel trash cart to be used only for loose (bag-less) recyclables. Those folks also will take a pledge to fight “recycling contamination,” or learning how and what to recycle, also known as “recycling right.”
The new Toters, topped with gold lids, will be the same size (96 gallons) as the current green Toters into which residents now co-mingle their blue plastic bags of recyclables and their trash. The green Toters will continue to be used but for trash only.
For the past 24 years, Muncie has been able to divert roughly a third of its solid waste stream from the landfill, mirroring the national recycling rate and practically doubling the statewide rate.
But the blue-bag system is outdated.
“I’ve always said that it’s ridiculous to be collecting recyclables in non-recyclable bags,” sanitary district recycling coordinator Jason Donati told the state’s Recycling Market Development Board several weeks ago.
The bags also are costly. In 2020, more than 600,000 of them were purchased for about $130,000. The same year, 951 tons of plastic bags from Muncie were disposed of by incineration in Indianapolis at a cost of about $40,000. And the sanitary district spends about $16,000 a year sending coupons to residents for free blue bags available at stores.
In addition, many people improperly use the blue bags as trash bags. “People call us and ask for the free ‘trash bags,’ “ said Donati, who also has seen people using them as leaf bags, laundry bags and so forth.
The current system is also inefficient and messy, mixing trash and blue bags of recyclables that are dumped together into big piles on the floor at East Central Recycling, which sorts, bales and warehouses the recyclables.
Because Muncie residents are accustomed to the blue bags, it’s going to take some time to inform and educate them about transitioning to bag-less, separate recycling, Donati told members of the state recycling board.
One board member called Muncie’s blue-bag system “the craziest thing I’ve ever heard of,” and another urged Muncie to hurry up and implement “a hard stop on the blue bags — enough is enough.”
Here is an edited version of my Q&A with Donati on the upcoming changes in recycling:
When will this take effect?
We are hoping to start allowing people to sign up for the opt-in recycling Toters starting in February and have a target date of starting the new program in April.
Why 7,000 new Toters? I think you said there are 25,000 households currently with Toters. Is 7,000 how many you predict will participate in recycling?
A lot of that number was determined by the amount of grant funding available and what we believe to be our capacity for a good first phase for the new rollout. We anticipate more phases based on how popular the opt-in program is. We estimate that we have around 25,000 customers that we serve and if we got to 19,000 participants it would be 75% participation.
An estimated 21,663 out of 24,500 households (87%) receive blue-bag coupons in Muncie, twice a year. Since we first started collecting data in 2001, we've diverted between 27% to 36% of our waste stream.
Why are two new trucks needed? Will they look like the same trucks that come down the street now?
We have nine routes a day, five days a week. Currently, we send an automated (side loader with robot arm) LaBrie truck to pick up your trash, and we send three Peterson Industries Lightning Loader grapple trucks out to cover all nine routes each day with bulk pick up. We are planning to start with two new (recycling) trucks that will cover four routes each. They will be the same make and model of our current fleet, compressed natural gas trucks, but will likely have a specific recycling wrap on them that makes them stand out as recycling trucks.
What’s the total cost of each truck?
The total cost of a 2023 compressed natural gas LaBrie Autocar Right Hand Automizer truck is $437,112.92 each.
What’s the cost of the Toters?
The cost of a new toter is currently $68.25 each and that doesn’t include shipping and freight. The cost of 7,000 at $68.25 would be $477,750 before freight costs.
Why do the new Toters have gold lids?
We decided to go with the blue 96-gallon Toters to keep with the theme of “Do the Blue” that our community has been doing for the last 24 years. The gold top is so they stand out and are high visibility and because blue and gold is becoming the universal color for recycling throughout the country. This color scheme was approved by our nine-member recycling advisory board that meets to discuss this program and help us with the strategic planning of this program update.
Why are the Toters 92 gallons? Why not smaller Toter options for smaller households?
The new Toters will be 96 gallons each (not 92 gallons). That is the same size as the trash Toters. We visited multiple communities last year doing research on this program that included Columbus, Kokomo, and Ft. Wayne. The feedback we got from these communities was that they started there program with an option to get a 45-gallon recycling Toter or a 96 gallon and the people that started with the 45 gallon ended up switching to the 96 gallon. They said if they were going to do that again they would only go with the larger size option and not have a smaller option.
One of the other main reasons we are going with the 96 gallon is to address the “Amazon Effect” that is basically the fact that a lot of people are throwing their cardboard away and not recycling it because they have so much and don’t want to cut it up and fit it into a blue bag. With the 96 gallon, people should be able to flatten boxes and place them loosely into the Toter without as many issues. We believe this will help capture a lot more clean cardboard for recycling.
I see a lot of Toters sitting out around town now as eyesores that aren’t brought in. Will 7,000 more Toters just add to this Toter clutter?
We just posted this on social media to help address some of those concerns: “According to MSD Resolution 2019-03, MSD trash Toters should be 3 ft from the curb by 7am on your pick-up morning and placed back by your residence by 7pm that same day; be at least 2 ft apart and away from mailboxes, cars and other obstructions. Please help us keep our city safe and clean by returning your Toters back to your residence as soon as possible after they have been dumped to avoid blowing in the street and blocking sidewalks or bike lanes. “
We also have three code enforcement officers that are out there every day enforcing this ordinance as well as others. We also anticipate that people will get rid of one trash Toter when they opt-in to receive a recycling Toter and will end up having two total Toters, one trash and one recycling.
What is meant by the current recycling contamination problem? People using blue bags for trash, co-mingling trash and recyclables?
The current recycling contamination issue is that people are using blue bags for trash, leaves and other non-recyclable items and that people are also ‘wish cycling’ by putting things in the blue bags that they wish are recyclable such as Styrofoam, plastic bags, plastic film, etc. that aren’t recyclable. We hope that by having the pledge when you sign up to participate that it will help with educating residents on proper recycling and that we will also be able to do some enforcement with the new Toters because the trucks will be equipped with cameras and the drivers will be able to see contamination if it happens.”
What will the contamination reduction pledge entail?
We are still working on this and I am gong to be asking for a lot of feedback from our recycling advisory board. I envision that people will go to a landing webpage, watch a quick introduction video, read a short pledge, and then fill out their information that will ask for name, address, email, and phone optional. We would like to collect email and phone info for push notifications for communication updates.
Will there be a rate increase in our MSD bill to fund the new program including I think you said two new employees? The state grant apparently won’t entirely fund the program.
At this time, there will be no rate increase to fund the new program and we don’t anticipate one in the future. We have budgeted for new trucks each year and will be able to cover our portion of the match of the state grant within our budget. We also know that there will be annual savings from not having to purchase blue bags, pay for the freight cost and their incineration for disposal.
What will be accepted in the new Toters (must be loose, not bagged):
Paper, magazines, paperboard, cardboard, plastic #1 and #2, all colors of glass, aluminum, tin, steel cans
What cannot be accepted in the new Toters:
Plastic film, plastic bags, Styrofoam, K-cups, food scraps, electronics, yard waste, paper towels/napkins, light bulbs, clothing, batteries, construction material, greasy pizza boxes, ceramics, mirrors or window glass
Questions, comments?
Jason Donati, recycling educator, 765 213-6450, or jdonati@msdeng.com
Previously, in Greater Muncie:
Wonderful.
Good information on future recycling in the area. It was a good reminder on what is and isn’t recyclable. Thankful we’ll be able to recycle cardboard from the toters. We currently drive across town to Muncie Mission to recycle cardboard. Thanks Seth for getting the information to the community.