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Trinity Takes Recycling Test

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By CARL ORTH The Suncoast News

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 22, 2009

TRINITY - Recycling could become as routine as taking out the trash for many more Pasco County residents, depending on the results of a pilot project.

Since June, many neighborhoods have been part of a test program in which the waste hauling firm Accurate Waste Systems is gauging the attitudes on recycling of about 8,000 customers. A company flier is encouraging customers to become part of a "Lean Green Recycling Machine."

The experiment will continue through spring 2009 to judge the effect from the return of winter residents, said Accurate Waste Systems' owner, Steve Serafino.

The company has spent close to $100,000 on the test. As of mid-December, the hauler had collected 150 tons of paper. About 5 percent of customers are participating.

Before the test, the trash hauler was collecting about 2,400 blue bags of recyclables a month, Serafino said. By November, some 8,000 blue bags a month were hitting the curbs.

Pasco officials only require the nine private waste haulers operating in the county to pick up blue bags with recyclables every other week.

A county workshop in February that examined various recycling options inspired Serafino to experiment with recycling. He decided to designate a truck for recyclables.

Serafino went beyond the three types of recyclables the county accepts in its blue bag program: clear, green and brown glass bottles and jars; aluminum and bimetal cans; and plastic bearing the No. 1 and No. 2 recycling symbols. He also picks up cardboard boxes, magazines and newspapers, other forms of paper and yard waste such as brush and tree trimmings.

The driver of the specially equipped recycling truck tosses the blue bags into a bin at the top of the vehicle and puts cardboard and other discarded paper in a bottom section.

Customers of Accurate Waste Systems now get garbage collection twice a week, blue bag service twice a week, discarded paper pickup once a week and yard waste pickup once a week.

Foxwood, Heritage Pines, Heritage Springs, Trinity West and Trinity East are among the communities with the expanded service from Accurate Waste Systems.

The hauler sponsored a competition in November involving some 650 Trinity Elementary School students. Every participant received a free blue bag and literature on recycling to take home.

"They really had a gas," Serafino said.

Accurate Waste Systems also has helped recycle more than 17 tons of telephone books in support of local recycling clubs.

Company Christmas cards to customers carried a reminder to recycle.

The trash company's flier urges customers to ask for paper sacks at the grocery store instead of plastic bags. Customers can use the paper bags to hold magazines, newspaper and other discarded paper products for curbside pickup.

Recycling numbers are definitely improving, but it's hard to draw any conclusions just yet, Serafino said. Customers have been throwing out a lot more paper products, but the extent of yard waste recycling isn't great yet, he said.

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