Why no recycling bins on Kane Co. land? It's all about emptying them

A Sugar Grove company recently approached Kane County officials about a plan to put its recycling bins on public property, for free, but county staff said providing such a service just won't work no matter the price tag.

Kane County Recycling Coordinator Gary Mielke told the county board's Energy and Environmental Committee Wednesday that recycling bins in public places are more of a manpower problem than a cost dilemma.

Though the proposal would provide the recycling bins at no cost (the company earns a profit by selling advertising space on the sides of the bin), it's what the company doesn't do that's the problem, Mielke said.

"You've got to have someone to empty those bins and a commitment to service them," Mielke said. "They've got to be serviced extremely often or people will throw garbage into the recycling."

That's exactly why recycling bins didn't work out in the forest preserves a few years back. The bins weren't emptied often enough and they filled with trash. Mielke said the bins might work at a place like Elfstrom Stadium, but not in the typical public area with lower foot traffic and less maintenance manpower.

"I wish I had a silver bullet or a magic wand," Mielke said. "I just don't see it happening in county facilities."

One other thing county residents might not see in the next year is as many "green" improvements as the county hoped to spawn from federal stimulus money it received. The county received about $2.5 million last August to pursue environmentally-friendly projects. Initially, the federal money came with the need to spend it all by August 2012. Political pressure to see a more immediate return on that stimulus money has now pushed that deadline up to December 2011 with even earlier deadlines on when the money must be committed to projects by bid-awarded contracts. County staff told the committee most of the projects the money will fund, such as creating a countywide renewable energy plan and facility audits of county facilities, will still occur. However, other programs, such as the creation of a revolving loan fund for area businesses to pursue green improvements may not come to life.