Clean City Program
Newport announces a commercial recycling program for small businesses
The Newport Public Services Department's Clean City Program, in partnership with Waste Management, will be offering a commercial recycling program for small businesses in the City of Newport.
The program was created to help the city increase its current 23% recycling rate in order to reach the state mandated recycling goal of 35% by 2012 in accordance with state law. Although many business owners seek the advice of Newport's Clean City Coordinator in hopes of finding ways to start recycling, until this collaborative solution was developed, no viable alternative to the Newport business community had previously existed.
As Kristin Littlefield, Newport's Clean City Coordinator states, "The commercial recycling program is designed to offer a simple, affordable recycling solution for businesses. Recyclables from businesses will be picked up on the regular residential recycling routes in order to maximize the existing routes, while still keeping recycling opportunities affordable to businesses.
The additional bonus relates to the fact that the city will be able to raise its recycling rate by incorporating this new stream of recyclable materials."
This program may also allow the opportunity for qualifying business owners to save money due to the simple fact that separating recyclable goods from the waste stream decreases the ultimate weight of and cost of disposal of the solid waste.
This program is aimed at small businesses that currently do not have a recycling program and will not exceed the containers offered in this program. Residential units such as rentals or condos over 8 units that that are not included in the city's trash and recycling program may also participate in the commercial recycling program.
Recycling bin options for the program range from household recycling bins, totes with wheels and a hinged lid, to sharing dumpster for cardboard. The Clean City Program will also be offering free recycling bins to the first 25 businesses that sign up for the household recycling bin service.
Businesses must sign a service agreement with Waste Management in order to start service. The launch date for the commercial recycling program is July 5. For more information or to sign up, please contact Kristin Littlefield, Clean City Program Coordinator at 845-5642, or fill out the form below and we will be in touch with you.