Why doesn’t River Oaks offer recycling services?

We are pleased to announce an agreement with Republic Services to provide free recycling service to the River Oaks neighborhood.

Free?

Yes.

When does this service start?

The rollout carts were delivered the last week of September, 2011 and, if you had been paying for recycling in the past, the old bins should have been collected..  Recycling pick-up started beginning October 3, 2011.

What day is our recycling picked up?

Monday is recycling pick up day for the whole neighborhood.

But I have been paying for recycling services through Republic.  Why is it free now?

Prior to this year, it has not been in ROPO’s budget to provide recycling services.  However, now by offering free service to the neighborhood, Republic predicts it will earn enough from selling the recyclable products collected in River Oaks to offset the cost of collection and the cost of providing each household with a 65 gallon rollout cart.   There is no cost to ROPO or to River Oaks neighbors.

Do I have to have a cart for each kind of recyclable item?  I thought you had to separate the different types of material.

With the new rollout carts, recyclable items do not need to be separated.  All items can be placed in the same rollout container.

The containers are 65 gallons?  That’s huge.  Why does it have to be so large?

Because no sorting is required, a cart must be large enough to contain a variety of items such as cardboard boxes and cases of wine bottles from that 50^th birthday party you just hosted.

Do I have to roll that giant container out to the street on recycle day?

No.  Republic has agreed to back door pick up of recycling just as it provides back door pick up of trash.  If you choose to place your trash at the street due to lack of access to your back door, you will need to roll the recycle container curbside.  We urge you to respect your neighbors by not rolling your bin out prior to your scheduled recycling day.

What can be recycled?

Cardboard boxes, steel and tin cans, milk jugs (HDPE Natural), aluminum, magazines, office paper (please be sure confidential information is shredded), plastic bags, newspaper, P.E.T. plastics with #2 on them, laundry detergent bottles (HDPE Pigmented), junk mail, phone books, paper, paper bags.  Please be sure any items containing food products are rinsed out before placing them in the recycle container.

What about glass?

Yes.

Am I required to recycle?

Obviously, no one can be forced to recycle.  We hope you will consider taking advantage of this service being provided at no cost to you.

Now that recycle service is being provided, I need to cancel my recycling account.  Do I call Republic?

The program beginning October 3, 2011 coincides with the beginning of the new billing cycle.  You have paid in full for all the services you have received and should not be billed further.  If you do receive a bill, please alert Republic services by clicking here.

I did not get a recycling bin.  What should I do?

The first question you should answer is “Have my ROPO Maintenance Fees been paid?”.   If the answer is “no”, you did not get a can because you have not paid your maintenance fees.  Once you have paid your maintenance fees, it will take between 30-60 days to enroll you in the program.   If the answer is “yes”, please notify Republic Services by clicking here.