EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
If you live in Evansville and are not taking part in the recycling program, the city is now hoping you'll start.
We got our first look Tuesday night at how a new and improved program would work.
For example, if you have your trash picked up in an alley, you won't have to walk your recycle bin all the way to the curb anymore. Crews would pick up both in the same location.
"Most of the material that we get in our home is recyclable now," said Evansville resident, Brent Jackson.
Jackson says he's all for a plan to get more city residents recycling. Right now, it's estimated that only 40% participate in the program.
"Our neighborhood is a little less. I think it's about 20 in our neighborhood," Jackson said.
A lot of that is said to be blamed on those small recycling containers.
"People are building up side gates on their bins. They're getting extra sacks to put stuff in," said Ed Ziemer with Evansville Water and Sewer Utility.
Which is why the plan is to trash the current method and replace those 18-gallon bins with a 96-gallon cart.
"This is five-times as large as what we've had before. We want to increase participation in recycling and lower the volume of trash," Ziemer said.
The city's current trash contract is up at the end of this year. When it enters into a new contract, it's looking to make the move to a more automated service, meaning residents will get two of the new carts. One for their trash, the other for recyclables. Residents won't have to worry about sorting those recyclables materials at the curb anymore.
"You just put everything in there from plastics, to papers, to letters, junk mail, everything can go in this one container then it goes to a sorting center and they will sort out the materials," Ziemer said.
Call it recycling 2.0, a process recycled and made easier in hopes that more of us don't just trash the trash.
There are two more public meetings for you to hear more about this plan and to comment on it. One is Wednesday night at Oaklyn Library. The final meeting is Thursday night at Holy Rosary Church.
City officials say they welcome any and all input.
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