CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. – Recycling is of critical importance in 2024. However, not everyone has access to a recycling container, which means thousands of Southern Maryland residents can’t sort their trash. The town of Chesapeake Beach regularly promotes initiatives that raise environmental awareness within the local community, such as the Green Team.
As the latest step in Chesapeake Beach’s efforts to go green, the Town Council has decided to provide every resident with a new recycling container. For this project, Chesapeake Beach partnered with Evergreen Disposal to distribute the containers on Nov. 6 and 7.
The Chesapeake Beach newsletter outlines key features of the new recycling bins. The letter reads: “Each 96 gallon commercial grade container comes equipped with wheels, a lid, and a unique serial number assigned to a resident’s address. The new containers not only are insured from damage with immediate replacement, but also help reduce staff injuries as they are compatible with the mechanical arm on the truck that lifts and dumps recycling into the truck.”
The recycling containers are commercial grade and hold 96 gallons, so they’re long-lasting and large. The boxes will also display unique serial numbers, which allow for the replacement of containers should they become damaged or lost.
In addition to the environmental benefits of offering free recycling bins, these containers will be significantly easier to empty due to their compatibility with recycling equipment. The improved design will also reduce accidents and injuries during the collection of recyclable items.
Some residents have opted out of receiving a new recycling container. In some cases, community members already have a functioning bin for their recyclables, while others may not be interested in recycling at all. Chesapeake Beach is also collecting information from those who have decided not to participate in the free initiative.
Each container costs the town of Chesapeake Beach $110, but encouraging thousands of residents to recycle will have a positive impact on the environmental health of Southern Maryland communities.
According to a report by The Recycling Partnership, 79% of all residential recyclable items are lost to landfills. This highlights the importance of providing free recycling containers to increase the reuse of plastic, aluminum, and other materials that often end up in the trash.
By offering bins at no cost and educating the public about proper recycling, the amount of consumer products that end up in local landfills could be dramatically reduced.
Most of the recycling bins have now been delivered to Chesapeake Beach residents. To learn more about the free recycling container program, you can visit the Chesapeake Beach website.
The government of Chesapeake Beach is encouraging residents to fill out this form if they wish to return their old recycling bins to the town.
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