Blue Bag Recycling Will Come To An End

Sonora, CA — A portion of Tuolumne County will be doing away with the blue bag recycling program in mid-2010.

At that time, two wheeled carts will be provided by Cal Sierra/Waste Management to customers. One will be for garbage and the other for recyclables. Trash will be picked up weekly and the recyclables bi-weekly, in separate trucks.

An expanded list of recyclable material will be accepted in the new program, including catalogs, cereal boxes, egg cartons, junk mail, magazines and all plastic jugs and bottles labeled #1 and #2.

The collection rate for customers will increase by $4.05 per month.

The changes were approved by the Tuolumne County Supervisors with a 5-0 vote on Tuesday. It affects collection areas #1 and #2 and the City of Sonora. The collection areas managed by Burns Refuse (Tuolumne area) and Moore Brothers Scavenger (South County) will not be participating in the new recycling program at this time. In the future the county hopes to expand the program to those areas.

Written by bjhansen@mlode.com.