On May 5, the ability to use single-stream recycling, putting all of the recyclables in one container, will expand to 150,000 homes in North and lower Northeast Philadelphia, according to a Philadelphia Inquirer article. Once this is completed, only about 80,000 homes in the entire city will not have single-stream, but they will be added in July, according to the Street’s Department.

Before the single-stream programs began two years ago, the city only recycled about 5.5% of their waste, one of the lowest rates nationwide for large cities. The rate is now approaching 8%, with the goal to reach 18%, which is the national average. The tonnage of recycled items has increased 35%, and while the city pays $62 to send a ton of trash to the landfill, it can sell the recyclables for $37 a ton.

After the remaining neighborhoods get single-stream recycling in the next 3 months, the next goals will be to convert neighborhoods which get recyclables picked up every two weeks changed to be get them picked up every week, starting in January 2009. This includes Powelton Village and all of University City, in West Philadelphia.

Photo courtesy of CleanWaterAction.org.