PRESS RELEASE
January 25, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Liz Acord, Public Works Department
(510) 747-7900
Recycling and Composting Containers Added to Public Areas
Blue and dark green bins for recycling and composting have been popping up throughout Alameda’s busiest public areas, giving residents and visitors an easy alternative to throwing items in a trash can that will end up in a landfill. These containers are just another reason Alameda is so unique—our City is at the forefront in bringing both recycling and organics collection to its most popular public areas.
In its ongoing effort to improve sustainability and be more environmentally friendly, the Alameda Public Works Department has worked with a contractor that specializes in custom-made concrete creations to design and create 20 containers for its parks. The City has also worked with a recycling products company to provide 30 similar receptacles at business districts and ferry terminals in Alameda.
The containers were paid for through a $78,800 State grant that Public Works received in 2014 to install recycling containers in Alameda’s most heavily used public areas, including the City’s business districts, parks, and transit hubs.
The new bins were installed over the last two years. All 20 containers for City parks have been installed, and most of the containers have been installed on Park and Webster Streets.
What goes in them?
Recyclables go in the blue bins, and includes bottles, cans, yogurt tubs, clean paper, cracker boxes, clean cartons, and coffee cup lids. No film plastic or styrofoam is allowed.
The dark green containers are for organics and compost items. These include food scraps and food-soiled paper. Examples are paper coffee cups, pizza boxes, napkins, paper take-out containers, wooden chopsticks, milk cartons, facial tissue, and paper sandwich wrappers.
Park Containers
The recycling and compost containers at City parks are made of concrete and have painted steel doors. The recycling door is painted blue and the compost door is dark green. Each compartment holds 23 gallons. The containers have a lifespan of 25 years.
The units were custom designed for the City by Outdoor Creations, a company that has made the units available in its product line to other customers after working with Alameda on the design for about a year.
Most parks have one or two containers. Larger parks like Lincoln Park at 1450 High Street, and Washington Park at 740 Central Avenue each have several of the bins.
Business District Containers
The receptacles in the business districts and ferry terminals have a different look. They’re completely dark green, though the compartment for recyclables has a blue front panel.
The business district boards voted unanimously in support of the project, which included extensive outreach and collaboration between Public Works staff and the districts on the containers’ design, aesthetics, and locations.
The containers were designed by CleanRiver, a recycled products manufacturer. They’re made out of plastic lumber, which is comprised of 95% post-consumer high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The expected lifespan is 10-15 years.
The grant application has support from the Downtown Alameda Business Association, West Alameda Business Association, Alameda Friends of the Parks Foundation, and Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda.
