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Solid Waste & Recycling
Solid Waste Collection
In response to state law directing a dramatic increase in the amount of waste materials that are recycled, to increase efficiency of refuse collection while improving safety and recycling rates, the City is currently using automated collection and single stream recycling. Three new automated collection trucks were delivered and placed into service in West Melbourne in late December 2011.
Automated Collection
Automated collection is a thoroughly proven method of residential solid waste collection as a cost-effective option to manual collection. Each home is provided with two special carts - one for trash and the other for recyclables. These carts are easy to roll and placed curbside on the designated collection day. The garbage trucks, equipped with a lifting device on the curbside, will lift, empty and return the carts to the same spot. The driver never has to leave the truck cab, but controls the entire loading operating from his seat. The entire collection process takes about 15 seconds to complete.
"Single Stream" Recycling
Single stream recycling is a system in which all paper fibers and containers are mixed together in one large wheeled rolling recycle cart and mixed together in a single collection truck, instead of being sorted into separate commodities (newspaper, cardboard, plastic, glass, etc.) by the resident and handled separately throughout the collection process. In single stream, both the collection and processing systems are designed to handle this fully commingled mixture of recyclables, with materials being separated for reuse at Waste Management.