Dothan taking a look at recycling program

Recycling dropoff locations around Dothan

Westgate Park - Old Air National Guard Armory*

Dothan Utilities Complex - 200 Kilgore Drive

Eastside Fire Station #5 - 668 Ross Clark Circle

Redmond Road - Flynn Road intersection

North Cherry Street - Monument Street entrance

Houston County Farm Center - Cottonwood Highway entrance

* = Recently changed from old location near BMX bike course

By: Lance Griffin | Dothan Eagle
Published: November 29, 2010

Dothan’s recycling program is being evaluated to determine how, or if, it can be tweaked.

Dothan officials say they are pleased with the targeted curbside recycling program as well as the dropoff locations around the city, but want to see if it would be cost effective to make changes.

City Manager Mike West said he would love to see a citywide recycling program, but knows the city would incur a substantial cost.

“The curbside program has worked out fairly good, but the biggest problem is we don't have the resources to implement it citywide,” West said.

The city implemented curbside recycling for targeted residences in January of 2008. Assistant Environmental Services Manager Ken Rice said about 70 percent of the 2,100 targeted residences still participate and those residences are recycling more waste per household than the state average.

The city has also placed recycling containers in each of the six districts to encourage dropoffs. Rice said the most used locations are at Westgate Park, the Houston County Farm Center and Dothan Utilities on Kilgore Drive.

Rice said officials are evaluating the program and plan to provide the Dothan City Commission with available options to tweak the program some time in early 2011.

Possible options include:

1.   Expanding the curbside program. Rice said it is a popular option because of the convenience. However, the program doesn’t come close to paying for itself. Rice said the program would need above 30 percent participation from residents to expand it citywide.

“Right now, we just don’t have the waste stream to make it pay for itself,” Rice said.

The waste is separated into categories and sold for recycling, so the city does recoup some of the cost of collection, but not all.

“It's such an expense that we would need another market on the other end,” Rice said.

However, West said that every ton collected for recycling is a ton that does not go into the rapidly-filling city landfill. West said the current landfill has about 50 months left before another one must be created. He said it would cost $3 million just to line the next landfill, not to mention the headache of selecting a site.

2.   Expanding recycling routes to all city schools.

3.   Pay as you go garbage collection with a discount for recycling. Rice said the program has been implemented in larger cities, but doesn’t appear viable for cities like Dothan.

“Most of the places where this program works is in cities above 400,000,” Rice said.

Dothan taking a look at recycling program

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