REXBURG, IDAHO
A new partnership between Brigham Young University-Idaho and the City of Rexburg may bring curbside recycling to all city residents beginning in August.
Until now the City of Rexburg has opted out of curbside recycling because it was cost prohibitive to build a facility to manage the collection and sorting of recycled material. In December, BYU-Idaho met with city officials and proposed a plan that would use the university's existing recycling center, making the cooperative venture cost neutral for both parties.
"This is a win-win situation for both parties," said Eric Conrad, facilities management director at BYU-Idaho. "We're able to help the city provide a valuable service for the community while also utilizing the university's facilities to a greater degree."
The new program will be implemented in two phases. During both phases BYU-Idaho will keep track of the savings on garbage "tipping" fees, which are charged to the city based on the trash's weight. If the savings on tipping fees combined with the income gained from recycling are great enough, the recycling initiative will be implemented to all city residents by August, with later phases incorporating large residential complexes and commercial enterprises.
In addition to implementing a recycling option for city residents, the new initiative is also beneficial because it will provide approximately 80 new jobs for BYU-Idaho students when the program is fully under way. The university's recycling center, which is currently only used for three hours each day, will eventually be operational daily from 9 a.m. to midnight.
