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Earth Day: Philly Emphasizes Benefits Of Recycling

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Apr 29, 2009 11:54 am US/Eastern

Earth Day: Philly Emphasizes Benefits Of Recycling

Reporting
Carol Erickson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― On Earth Day 2009, millions are appreciating the earth's environment.  Philadelphia is using the day to emphasize the importance of recycling in a colorful way. In the Northeast's Winchester Park, if it's Wednesday, it's canned-pineapple-on-the-curb day.  It's the day to see what your neighbors' pets eat and just how much your neighbors drink.  It's recycling day, that public display of everyone's tossed-yet-renewable lifestyle.

"If you look at my stuff, that's a week worth of paper," said one resident.

It's also her pizza boxes and cat food, and added up in Philaladelphia, 7000 tons of recycled materials so far this month--- more than ever.

It's a lot of work, recycling for the guys who do it.  But its also expensive for you if you don't—a $300 fine if you don't recycle in the city of Philadelphia.

But at the city's Earth Day, mascot Curby Bucket wasn't talking fines.  Fun recycling is the message, starting with ten new colorful student-designed shrink-wrapped recycling trucks.  

Philadelphia's top cheerleader for green, Mayor Nutter credits two things with the city's 50 percent increase in recycling this year.

"Weekly recycling, single-stream recycling, really does work," said Nutter.

But while recycling is up, the city's revenue from it is down. 

"Before, we were getting paid.  Now we're having to pay a small amount," explained one woman.

So companies that used to pay the city $25 to $40 a ton for this week's used cans, bottles and paper, are now getting paid $25 to take the stuff.  

It's still a better deal than the $65 that same ton would cost to landfill as trash.

"If the city can raise money off recycling, rather than raise my taxes, I'm for it," said a Winchester Park resident.

There are many shades to green.

Other Earth Day events in the area:

In Cherry Hill, New Jersey, volunteers removed trash from a 16-acre wooded section off Olive Street.  They also cleaned up debris from a stream running through the area.

In Montgomery County, PA, students from the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr were also busy. They spruced up the Riverbend Environmental Education Center in Gladwyne. The students picked up trash and cleaned out brush.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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