Residential FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

 

The staff of the City of Gulf Breeze has worked hard to try to keep costs low while offering as broad a selection of services as possible.  We recognize that no one set of services can possibly be ideal for all residents: some will prefer higher levels of service at any cost; others would prefer even fewer services to reduce costs more.  Residents have had the benefit of a long term contract that ended in January 2008.  This resulted in very stable costs for services, subject mainly to increases to reflect increases in landfill prices.  When the City requested bids on services identical to the twice a week collection service, those bids reflected price increases between 20%-80%.  By scaling back services to once a week collection and every other week recyclable collection, all residential rates will decrease rather than increase.

 

  1. When does the change in service start?
    • Officially, the new collection routes will commence March 1, 2008.  During the month of February we will be dropping off new recycling carts to houses as well as instructional literature and calendars.

  2. Why only once a week? Why recyclable collection every other week?
    • Analysis showed most homes did not need to pay for twice weekly pickup. Surveys performed in fall 2007 also indicated that there was broad support for more recycling than was offered.  Based on actual volumes of disposal, Allied Waste Services proposed a combination of services that expanded the breadth of recyclables collected, made handling the recyclables easier for homeowners, increased the capacity of the recyclable container and reduced regular waste collection to frequency.  This allowed the City to reduce waste collection costs to homeowners.

  3. But I can’t fit all my waste in a single collection!
    • With expanded recycling capacity and broader recycling collection, you may be surprised how much you can reduce your waste volumes.  On average, 40% of household waste is recyclable.  Corrugated and box cardboard often use up a lot of disposal space and both of those are now accepted for collection.
      Any household can elect to use a second container for excess wastes.  There is an extra charge for the second container (2008 rate: $6.00 per month for curbside collection).  Email garbage@cityofgulfbreeze.com to request an additional kart.  Include your name, address and phone numbers.

  4. How come they didn’t pick up my recycling this week?
    • . Two collection routes or “zones” have been established that are serviced on alternate weeks.  The “Blue Zone” consists of all residences on the east of Gulf Breeze Parkway (Highway 98) and those residences on the west of Gulf Breeze Parkway that are east of South Sunset Dr and North of Fairpoint up to and including Highpoint Drive.  All other residences are part of the “Gray Zone”.  Recyclables are collected at curbside every other week based on those zones. Neither the City nor Allied are able to provide sideyard collection of recyclables.  For those who are disabled or infirm and physically unable to move the karts to the curb, the City is attempting to find volunteer resources in the community to help.

  5. Don’t I have to separate my recyclables?
    • No, Allied does the separation centrally.  All paper, cardboard, bottles, cans, glass, etc should be placed in the recyclables Kart (the one with the gray lid).

  6. What items are considered recyclable items?
    • Newspapers and the inserts
    • Magazines / Catalogs
    • Junk Mail
    • White and Colored Paper
    • Posters
    • Post-It Notes
    • Manila Folders
    • Phonebooks
    • Cereal / Food Boxes without the plastic/waxpaper insert
    • Corrugated and box cardboard (boxes, beer and soda boxes)
    • Aluminum beverage cans
    • Bi-Metal Steel Cans
    • Glass bottles and jars
    • Most Plastic: Soft drink, milk, juice, water, detergent, and shampoo bottles
      (These MUST be type 1 or type 2 plastics, again, avoid any food contaminated containers). 

NOTE: PLASTIC CUP AND FOOD CONTAINERS SHOWN MUST BE TYPE 1 PLASTICS AND CLEAN

 

NOTE: PLASTIC CONTAINERS SHOWN MUST BE TYPE 2 PLASTICS AND CLEAN

  1. What should NOT be put in the recycling container?
    • Household garbage will contaminate the Kart and potentially the whole load of recyclables
    • All containers should be completely empty, preferably rinsed
    • DO NOT ATTEMPT TO RECYCLE BOTTLES FOR BLEACH, DRANO®, or AMMONIA
    • No containers contaminated with food or oil should be recycled (no pizza boxes or used paper plates)
    • Take out food containers made of cardboard, Styrofoam, paper, foil containers, etc should not be recycled
    • Cookware, whether aluminum, copper or steel should not be put in the recycling container
    • Egg cartons, cardboard or Styrofoam, cannot be accepted
    • Do not attempt to recycle containers for pool chemicals
    • Do not attempt to recycle plastic bags, from either grocery stores or dry cleaners

  2. What about other recyclables?
    • The list above addresses the types of items that Allied Waste’s processing center can separate and recycle.  We have tried to create a program that will be the most cost effective for homeowners.
      There are, however, other opportunities for recycling:

1.      Bruno’s, Winn-Dixie and Walmart all accept plastic shopping bags for recycling

2.      City Hall accepts old cell phones for recycling (which provide calling card minutes to US Troops abroad)

3.      The City’s transfer station will accept oversized metal for recycling (appliance panels, bed frames, old piping)

4.      Contact local FedEx and UPS (Mailboxes Etc) to see if they will accept foam packing peanuts

5.      Other packing foam and new product packaging foam may be recycled by mailing it to:
Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers
1298 Cronson Boulevard, Suite 201
Crofton, MD 21114 USA
You can find more details about recycling packaging foam here.

6.      Styrofoam egg cartons may be recycled by mailing them to:
National Polystyrene Recycling Company
1700 W 119th Street
Chicago, IL 60643
708-945-2139

7.      Most dry cleaners will accept back their coat hangers and some will accept their plastic wrap.

8.      There are reports that Staples will accept old computers, monitors and keyboards for a $10 processing fee, but you may want to offer old electronics ‘free for pickup’ on places like “pensacola.craigslist.org”. Also, we’ve recently come across a website called http://www.myboneyard.com/ which pays the shipping and even offers some sort of rewards for recycling PC’s, laptops and other technology items.  Via the Environmental Protection Agency website there are links to numerous electronics retailers and their e-cycling policies and processing fees.

9.      And, of course Waterfront Mission or Goodwill for clothes and acceptable furniture and appliances

(If you know for certain of a local establishment that accepts recyclables let me know and I’ll add it here.)

  1. What is happening to yard wastes?
    • Yard wastes continue to be collected on Wednesdays citywide.  Yard waste must be in bins, bags or bundled so that they are reasonably easy to lift (40 lb maximum).  Please use a strong twine or heavier cord (like clothesline cord) to bundle brush, string too often snaps when the bundle is lifted.  Keep bundle lengths to less than 4 feet so they will fit in the truck compactor; longer lengths run the risk of injury to the operator or the equipment.  Similarly, such items as stumps and thick tree limbs may pose a similar risk of damage to equipment or operator injury, so collection is at the operator’s discretion.  Such bulky, heavy items are more properly disposed of at the City’s transfer station.

  2.  Why can’t we have loose brush pickup?
    • This is mostly a function of cost, but partly reflects the number of trees throughout the City.  “Knucklebooms” are the only single operator loose brush collection vehicle and they are significantly more costly than rear-loader collection trucks.  The City’s experience during hurricane clean up also demonstrated that knucklebooms were not usable in situations where brush was piled underneath low hanging branches.  Additionally, knuckleboom operations substantially increases the risk of property damage when piles are places on or too near sprinkler heads, fire hydrants, telephone boxes, and mail boxes; and there is always the risk of damaging lawns.

 

 

Got a question that wasn’t answered here?  Just ask it via email garbage@cityofgulfbreeze.com !