Key West hears zero-waste plan

by admin on February 9, 2010

By SEAN KINNEY

skinney@keynoter.com

Posted – Wednesday, February 03, 2010 11:44 AM EST

You said it, Kermit — it’s not easy being green. Just ask the folks in Key West.

The 25,000 or so residents of the island can’t crack a 10 percent residential recycling rate. Yet on Jan. 26, residents packed the City Commission chambers and applauded the vision of a zero-waste community.

Local environmental groups Last Stand and Green Living and Energy Education teamed to bring Eric Lombardi, executive director of Boulder, Co.,-based Eco Cycle, to speak to city officials.

Lombardi, who heads a pioneering nonprofit recycling outfit, outlined a 10-year plan to transform Key West into a zero-waste community, eventually diverting 90 percent of waste from mainland waste-to-energy incinerators and landfills.

Lombardi made three points that drew tremendous applause from the gallery:

  • “The public really wants convenient recycling and composting opportunities,” he said. “Once you create the systems where it’s really easy to do the right thing, they do the right thing.”
  • “Make the polluter pay more than the conserver,” Lombardi said, talking about introducing a pay-as-you-go structure to waste-collection service charges.
  • “Mandatory recycling at all homes and businesses.”The first major milestone in Lombardi’s plan is reaching a 50 percent recycling rate, which would require a three-bin system — one for recyclables such as paper and glass, one for compost and one for other trash.

    To read the full story click here.

    • Tagged as: zero waste

    Leave a Comment

    Previous post:

    Next post: