Recycling Issues: (Loudon, Dandridge: middle school, taxes, living)

[SolorzanoAssociates]

Okay, this may sound very lame, however I am a big fan of our planet.. Does anyone have any idea how to get a town to start recycling? I lugged all my reclyables to the town/county over and was rejected for not living there. Tsk Tsk Tennessee....... Lets just make Mt Trashmore even bigger..

Seriuosly, I have googled around and haven't found a single thing on how to get the County Commissioners, etc to push for recycling in my lil town of Dandridge.

[alleycat]

Yeah, counties are pretty touchy about people bringing in trash (even if it recyclables). A couple of years ago I helped my mom clean out her basement, but I couldn't take the trash to the dumpster drop-off site because they check the car tags of everyone coming in (I live in Davidson County, mom lives in Montgomery County).

They're tried a couple of things here in Nashville. At first they had drop-off recycling sites with big dumpsters for glass, aluminum, paper, etc. Then they tried curb-side recycling. They gave us all plastic recycling bins which we were supposed to fill up and put on the street once a week. It didn't work as well as everyone thought it would and it was discontinued about a year ago.

I don't know how you'd start a recycling center in your county. You might try getting together with some friends, or environmental groups, and then try to get one or two of the County Commissioners on board. Start small; say, urge them to have at least one convenient location with dumpsters for the various recyclables (that wouldn't be expensive). Where I live they've used the corner of a busy Kroger's/strip mall shopping center, and the back parking lot of the middle school. You might send a letter to the editor of your local paper, or try to get the paper to do a story on recycling. Or you might try to get some school kids on board, urge them to begin a recycling program and for the county to help by providing the necessary means of collecting the recyclables. If you could get a few high school kids to come to the commission meeting to request a recycling center and a little piece in the newspaper about it; pretty soon I bet you'd see some effort made to accomodate their request. It's hard to turn down kids who are trying to do something constructive.

Good luck.

[Dave_n_Tenn]

Here's the answer to your other post.... start a recycling business!

[pdq]

I'm with Dave on this one.

I would say it's as close to impossible to start an effective recycling program in Dandridge as anything I know. The will for the local government to do this is not there because the public is not onboard. There are little resources to start this. Want to raise taxes to start recycling? Good luck. If it costs them anything or inconveniences them, they will say no. How can we change this? I wish I knew. I think you are starting to experience the culture shock that so many speak of here. Welcome to East TN. The people don't want to be changed.

[SolorzanoAssociates]

When Mt Trashmore is higher than the beautiful smokies in 20+ years, I believe East Tn people will have a change of heart.....

Thanks.

[pdq]

Originally Posted by SolorzanoAssociates

When Mt Trashmore is higher than the beautiful smokies in 20+ years, I believe East Tn people will have a change of heart.....

Thanks.

Hey I agree with you 100% It's many times too late once people realize. If it hits the wallet they don't seem to need it. I know where there are two trash mountains higher than the natural mountains around them. Anderson and Loudon Counties. Growing, growing every day.