Sixteen households in five blocks by Mt. Airy train station organized to bring their recyclables to Domino Lane Sanitation Center (SC) this week and last. We arranged this, after repeatedly observing combining of recyclables and trash in a single truck by city collectors over a period of many weeks. There remain many questions re what happens next. Foremost, what portion of these are actually recycled?

The city continues to give false information, stating that curbside pick-up separates these two classes of waste. (I’ve heard this is true on some streets, but not on our blocks the last five times the city collected waste.) The city is not able to handle the increased amount of waste what during the pandemic and the decrease in worker numbers. Yard waste is also collected at these centers. It is meant to go to Fairmount Park’s Recycling Center for composting. But now we’ve learned that yard waste, too, does not reliably end up where intended. Instead, it may go to a landfill or an incinerator, same as happens when picked up curbside.

Mandated citywide composting could bring a big reduction in total waste burden on city system and its workers, and improvement in the cleanliness of our streets. (An estimated 30% of total curbside pickup is yard waste.) In addition, the benefits of easily accessed compost product could transform the depleted soils of many of our properties, beginning in less than two years. Offer free crash courses in composting, with added incentive of tax credit, throughout neighborhoods and schools, plus grants to property owners who offer composting sites. Needed: Vision, volunteerism, will. Send your ideas and comments to : LynnJMather@me.com.

Lynn Mather
Mt. Airy