Birmingham Receives Grant to Help Boost Waste and Recycling Programs

Birmingham, Ala. is getting a boost from the state to improve its recycling output as residential participation remains low.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) is giving Birmingham $752,000 to help with the city’s recycling efforts. The big issue for the city is the total lack of participation. Alabama has been struggling with low recycling rates and the issue with participation is leading to missed pickups, hurting the city’s ongoing efforts to be more efficient about waste.

Councilman Hunter Williams has proposed that council will look into producing an opt-in program for residents where they can sign up for routine recycling pickups. However, recycling is just one of the few issues Birmingham has with waste.

The city deals with a flurry of complaints regarding bulk trash build ups in the area. Councilman Willaims hopes the ADEM funding will also go towards creating a waste opt-in program as well for bulk trash pickup.

“It is a constant complaint that residents are always calling their council members saying, ‘hey we had a missed bulk trash pickup, or it’s late or our neighbors are placing their bulk trash out after pickup’,” said Williams.

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