CLINTON, Iowa -- Clinton doubled it's recycling last year just by changing the way people take out their trash.
The city changed their recycleing program in October 2017 to single- stream. This means now there is one truck that picks up the recycling at every house. People no longer have to sort their own recycling, it all goes into one bin.
With this new program, recycling in Clinton has gone up 470 tons compared to 2017. Clinton's solid waste that goes into landfills has gone down 400 tons. Clinton's solid waste equipment operator, Adam Pope, says the new system is efficient and environmentally friendly. One drawback to this system is the dumping process. Pope drives one hour every day to Davenport, Iowa to dump the recycling. Currently, there is no dumping site for recycling in Clinton.
"If we could just keep going non-stop and be able to go out to the landfill here, I can go out there, dump and come back," Pope said. " I could be back on the route in 15 minutes compared to two hours."
Pope picks up the recycling at around 500 houses every day. He does the entire city every other week. Pope says the city plans to let him dump the recycling in Clinton starting October 2018. He also says the city is expanding the program and buying another truck. The truck will be on route early 2019.
