CITY FINDS MORE MARKETS FOR RECYCLED GOODS AS PARTICIPATION RISES

The newspaper you are reading right now is printed on recycled paper.

An estimated 500,000 trees are cut down every week and reduced to pulp, to print the Sunday editions of newspapers all over the United States.

Because our natural resources are limited, but our lust for products derived from them is not, the city of Cape Girardeau -- like hundreds of other cities across the U.S. -- is getting into business of recycling.

"We're doing better than we expected to be doing at this point in our recycling program," said Steve Triplett, solid waste coordinator for the city of Cape Girardeau.

The city first started recycling efforts in October 1991. In its first year, the city collected about 2 million pounds of recyclable materials. The second year yielded about 2.5 million pounds -- an increase of 38.5 percent over the previous year. Triplett said the city is on track to collect more than 3 million pounds of recyclables this year.

Triplett said that the city only accepts recyclables which can be sold to a minimum of two markets -- preferably locally.

There isn't much that you cannot recycle in Cape Girardeau. The transfer station accepts glass, plastic, corrugated cardboard, steel and tin cans, magazines, newspaper, plastics, yard waste, Christmas trees and just about anything else you would typically consider recyclable.

"We have compared our collection rates with Columbia, Mo. -- a city which is twice the size of Cape Girardeau -- and our success has done nothing but impress them," said Triplett. "Our current residential recycling rate is about 18.9 percent."

To boost that rate, the city's public works department is working on public education programs, targeting primarily the younger generation. In the spring, the city will start a billboard campaign, showing people what can be gained from recycling.

"We're trying to get our curbside collection higher, but if we really want to increase our recycling effort, it's the businesses which will have to fall in line," said Triplett. "Businesses generate so much recyclable material, it's a real shame that they are not expending the little effort which it takes to collect, separate and recycle those materials."

The St. Francis Medical Center has been in the business of recycling for years.

"We started out recycling grease, silver from the X-ray film, medical supplies; things like that," said Judy Vickery, department manager of the service department and laundry at the St. Francis Medical Center. "But in the last five or six years, we have added on paper, glass, cardboard and plastics.

"Just recently we started recycling white office paper," she continued. "We use over 80 tons of paper per year, so you see how much of a difference it makes when we recycle everything we can."

Recycling has made a real difference at St. Francis. One of the major indicators of its success is the fact that the hospital has been able to go from three solid waste pickups per week to two.

"Recycling has helped us reduce the cost of doing business," she said. "That is what we are after these days -- to reduce."

Departments at St. Francis set up their own recycling programs, Vickery said.

"Every department is responsible for hauling their recyclable materials down to the trailer parked behind the hospital," said Vickery. "Last year, we recycled 63 tons of materials from the hospital."

All the money generated through soda can recycling at the hospital goes toward projects planned by the social committee.

"It's a nice reward for conscientious behavior," said Vickery.

"Recycling is something we as a business are dedicated to," she said. "We are always looking for new ways to recycle and make what we do every day more efficient."

Cape Girardeau has figured out how to implement its recycling program in one of the most cost-efficient ways possible.

Much of the equipment at the city transfer station has either been adapted, used previously or donated to the city. Other equipment was purchased with monies from a conservation grant from the state.

In addition, the city adapted used beverage vending trucks for the purpose of collecting recyclable materials.

"The soda trucks cost us $4,500 a piece and one was donated outright by Pepsi," said Triplett. "To buy recycling trucks new would have cost us about $75,000 each."

Once at the transfer station, materials are separated, broken down or bailed and shipped to area markets.

"The money we make from the sale of recyclable products goes into a fund at the finance office," said Triplett. "One of the reasons we've been able to control our solid waste-hauling rates is because of the money recycling programs are generating."