The Longview city council is very pleased with the recycling rates of the city, since the residents in the region have started recycling a lot more than they did in the past. In addition to this, the usage of custom printed plastic bags has decreased within the city. So the waste management authorities in the region have been able to dispose the plastic waste of the city easily.

Improvement in Custom Printed Plastic Bags Within the City

According to statistics, Longview city's recycling rates have increased drastically in the past three to four years. At present, the city's trash rate has fallen down by 45 percent, and experts feel that the individual recycling cart program conducted in the city has helped in reducing the trash rate. The individual recycling cart program was introduced in the city in the month of August, 2009. The residents who enrolled for this program were given personalized recycling carts so that they could collect their waste in them.

In the 2008 recycling audit conducted by the city officials, the recyclables that was disposed in the recycling carts consisted of 52 percent trash. However, at present these figures have come down to a large extent, and the residents have started disposing more recyclables in their recycling carts. According to Waste Control, the authorized trash and recycling center in the city, random checks by their officials has improved the recycling habits of the residents as well. The officials from Waste Control conduct random checks during a month where they inspect the recycling carts given to the households. The households that don't dispose their recyclables properly are charged extra for the services. In some cases the authorities take away their recycling carts as well, and the residents have to repurchase them from the center.

City Council Benefits from Reduced Usage of Custom Printed Plastic Bags

The officials from Waste Control collect recyclables from all the households in the city and separate them for the recycling process twice a month. With increased recycling rates, Waste Control has been able to recycle more material, and they have been able to earn revenue by selling this material as well. In the year 2011, the center earned approximately $58,000 through the sales of recycled materials, but the next year the revenue dropped to $7,014. However, the authorities are confident that their recycled material sales will increase by the end of 2013, as the recycling rate of the city is increasing at a steady rate.

Source: https://www.longviewtexas.gov/2259/Recycling-Program