"Hello, I dropped off some stuff to be recycled and also some stuff for the tipping floor today. First, let me say what a great job your staff does. They are always friendly and helpful. But there is, as usual, one "downer" about the waste to energy plant. The dozens of bicycles that are in the appliance area, waiting to be disposed of, is an appalling sight. Some of these bicycles look almost new. The rest have salvageable parts.
With the price of gasoline being what it is, there are many folks who could use a bicycle at little or no cost. There are some organizations that are trying to help put bicycles into people's hands. One that comes to mind is Pedals 2 People in Spokane.
Is there any chance of having a recycling spot where people could drop their bikes off? It could be much like the household chemicals thing, where if someone needs a product that someone has left at the recycling table they take it. If too many bicycles stacked up in your recycling area, they could be brought into town - the West Central, East Central or Hillyard neighborhoods, where they could be put to good use.
I am sure you see a lot of good items go to waste out there, but for some reason the mound of bicycles always gets me!
Thank you!"
This picture is NOT of the bicycles, but it is rather nifty. Also, if you want to contact the waste to energy plant, here is their email: solidwaste@spokanecity.org
Or click here!
Pedals 2 People Link
3 comments:
I agree with you but that pile of bicycles is nothing but $$$ to the waste to energy plant it is no more that extra weight to the scrap pile.you would be a thief if you tried to take that garbage.
Zach is right unfortunately. One of our P2P volunteers pursued this a bit. It comes down to the fact that if we get bikes, why can't other folks take stuff too? Taking trash is verboten. There's a lot of issues here: what's wrong with our society that we can't move past this simple issue so that people could reuse other people's lightly used "trash?" There's logistics around how to sort through the bikes so that we get good stuff and not mostly trash that would be better off turned into soot. There's the cartin' the trash around (I think it would be cool to have a city-owned "junk store" out in west plains, where city employees dig through the trash, sort it into useful piles and sell it). As it is, there is no political will to do any of this. I think at $10/gallon some of this "trash" will not even make it to the dump...
You guys are both right. What I don't understand is how they can set up a table with chemicals that people don't want anymore and others are welcome to take, and they can't do the same thing with bikes. I did receive this from them today:
John,
Thanks for your email. If bicycles are separated from the garbage and
placed in the appliance are, I am fairly certain that is to allow them to be recycled. If there is a business or non-profit orgainzation that is interested in the bicycles, they could contact our office about
starting a program. I am forwarding your email to Suzanne Tresko, Recycling Coordinator, for her information on your suggestion.
Tia Tauscher
Secretary II
Spokane Regional Solid Waste System
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