recycling in restaurants.

Does anyone know why, or even know that restaurants are not allowed to recycle in metro Louisville?

Does anyone know why, or even know that restaurants are not allowed to recycle in metro Louisville?

Interesting! If there's some sort of law against it, that'd be news to me. Do you have a link or anything that explains where that idea's coming from? I googled a little bit and couldn't find anything.

See this earlier thread for a list of restaurants that already do.

[Robin Garr]

Interesting! If there's some sort of law against it, that'd be news to me. Do you have a link or anything that explains where that idea's coming from? I googled a little bit and couldn't find anything.

It would also be a heck of a story, and would fit right in with something that's being worked on for the same project you and I are working on. Let's track this down, and if it's true, we'll hold the city up to shame and scorn.

Well I pretty sure that the Metro government does not offer curbside to restaurants, or apartment complexes with more than 4 units. We tried to recycle in the back of Maido, and got away with it for a while till we were left w a nasty note from the pick up guys. We now just take what we can to the recycling center behind the fire house.

I just wonder if the metro's recycling center can't handle the volume.

[Robin Garr]

we were left w a nasty note from the pick up guys.

Was this before or after the city stopped contracting with Rumpke recycling and started using sanitation crews to pick up the recycling buckets? Some of the fellas who drove the Rumpke pickups were on the surly side, although as a resident I found a quick call to CityCall with a follow up to the alderman, er, councilperson's office would usually clear that right up.

Anyway, if this was more than a year ago you might try sneaking the stuff out back again. Maybe the Frankfort Avenue restaurant community could also try having a talk with Tina Ward-Pugh. Invite me along if you do it, and I'll come with notebook in hand.

It certainly doesn't say much for any attempt to make us look like a "green" city if sanitation won't recycle restaurants, with their output of things like bottles, paper and foil.

Well I pretty sure that the Metro government does not offer curbside to restaurants, or apartment complexes with more than 4 units. We tried to recycle in the back of Maido, and got away with it for a while till we were left w a nasty note from the pick up guys. We now just take what we can to the recycling center behind the fire house.

I just wonder if the metro's recycling center can't handle the volume.

That is correct commercial properties are responsible for their own waste disposal.

Some of the place that do recycle : Highlands Coffee , El Mundo, are all I can think of off the tor of my head.

we were left w a nasty note from the pick up guys.

Was this before or after the city stopped contracting with Rumpke recycling and started using sanitation crews to pick up the recycling buckets? Some of the fellas who drove the Rumpke pickups were on the surly side, although as a resident I found a quick call to CityCall with a follow up to the alderman, er, councilperson's office would usually clear that right up.

Anyway, if this was more than a year ago you might try sneaking the stuff out back again. Maybe the Frankfort Avenue restaurant community could also try having a talk with Tina Ward-Pugh. Invite me along if you do it, and I'll come with notebook in hand.

It certainly doesn't say much for any attempt to make us look like a "green" city if sanitation won't recycle restaurants, with their output of things like bottles, paper and foil.

Robin ther is a lot of cost involved with commercial establishment, besides a weeks worth of recycleable takes up a lot of room.

[Robin Garr]

Robin ther is a lot of cost involved with commercial establishment, besides a weeks worth of recycleable takes up a lot of room.

Fair enough, Bill. It takes some effort to be green. But does our city want a high-tech, environmentally conscious image that's earned? Or do we just want to do some cosmetic stuff and then save bucks on the rest? Wait! I just described the way Gannett runs our once great newspaper ...

Talk about a double standard, Metro Government does not recycle anything but office paper in their own offices. No cardboard either - my CPR cards generate a lot of 8 1/2 X 11 cardboard sheets and the guy who picks up the office paper takes it out of the bin. My Explorers have aluminum can recycling bins at EMS locations, but the rest go into the trash unless you care enough to take it home to recycle. I usually fill my lunch box with recyclables to bring home to my curbside bin, but that's just in my area. They did put "green" hand soap in the washrooms, it costs 10 times more than the soap we were using and we are not allowed to have paper towels or individual trash liners any more.

It would be quite a committment to set up a recycling for businesses, they could start in the USD. I just do not see that happening in the current climate in Metro government.

Talk about a double standard, Metro Government does not recycle anything but office paper in their own offices. No cardboard either - my CPR cards generate a lot of 8 1/2 X 11 cardboard sheets and the guy who picks up the office paper takes it out of the bin. My Explorers have aluminum can recycling bins at EMS locations, but the rest go into the trash unless you care enough to take it home to recycle. I usually fill my lunch box with recyclables to bring home to my curbside bin, but that's just in my area. They did put "green" hand soap in the washrooms, it costs 10 times more than the soap we were using and we are not allowed to have paper towels or individual trash liners any more.

It would be quite a committment to set up a recycling for businesses, they could start in the USD. I just do not see that happening in the current climate in Metro government.

Suzi --most of the larger building seem to have bins for bottles & cans. Not sure about who decides which building get them.

Robin ther is a lot of cost involved with commercial establishment, besides a weeks worth of recycleable takes up a lot of room.

Fair enough, Bill. It takes some effort to be green. But does our city want a high-tech, environmentally conscious image that's earned? Or do we just want to do some cosmetic stuff and then save bucks on the rest? Wait! I just described the way Gannett runs our once great newspaper ...

Robin thats the way most of the world runs too!
I myself would not mind paying a little more in taxes to support things like this but ...

And it is at a cost. Bea has stunk up the back of her vehicle for ever, and finally found a guy who would p/u the recycling and another for the cardboard. I responded to a thread regarding how great it was that all these restaurants where using eco-friendly to-go boxes and straws and such, and my point was it was futile because we aren't allowed to recycle in the first place! El Mundo and a precious few others have found other options at additional costs to them just so that they don't toss it in the trash. I'm sure you can imagine the amount of beer bottles and cardboard boxes that El mundo goes through in an average week! Yes, we use eco-steward, but she was doing something about it before it was ever an option.
Maido tried to put their recycling out (walked by it on my way to NEC every morning) and it was just disregarded. Tina Ward-Pugh, what do we dooooo?

I really have nothing to add as I have often wondered anout this myself, but I do want to welcome Coco to the forum- I don't think anyone really has before, or if they did it got lost in the thread that dare not speak it's name. It's good to see you here, and I am sure to see you soon at Maido.

When customers throw out their "garbage" at Ray's they get the same choice as people in progressive cities like San Francisco: we have three bins labeled "recycling," "landfill," and "compost."

We compost and we recycle!

Yes, it sucks the city won't pick up recycling for businesses. It would lead to a lot more recycling undoubtably. I feel bad driving (burning gas) to drop off the stuff miles away. A city truck (that drives down my alley already!!!) would make much more sense. Maybe I should run for mayor!

The health dept is A-OK with our recycling and composting.

Funny how most businesses that brag about various aspects of "eco-friendly" have their customers put all their trash straight into the landfill bin! Not naming names, but look around.

Red Hot Roasters recycles and is committed to being sustainable. All of our the paper products and packaging are recyclable or reusable and coffee grounds are donated to the Clifton Community Garden.
I also tried but city won't give me an orange bin either. My business is so small I could crush everything to fit all of my recyclables in one or two bins a week. It is frustrating, as Nimbus said, to see a city truck drive by already and not stop to pick up my recycling and have to drive to a drop off point.