The City of Philadelphia Streets Department this week announced the expansion of its innovative single stream residential recycling collection method.

Beginning March 5, approximately 93,000 households located in West and Southwest Philadelphia will join 123,000 Northeast Philadelphia residences in being able to set out all recyclables, including flattened cardboard and #1 and #2 plastic containers (generally beverage and detergent containers), into one container for curbside pickup.

“The City has seen an increase of nearly 29 percent in recycling tonnage since the summer 2006 launch of our simplified recycling collection method in Northeast Philadelphia,” stated City of Philadelphia Streets Commissioner Clarena I.W. Tolson. “Expanding this process, which makes curbside recycling easier for residents, will continue to increase the amount of material we divert from our waste stream.”

West and Southwest Philadelphia residents may continue to use their blue recycling bins for curbside collection. Should one bin not be enough to hold all recyclables, residents may add another container and mark it “recycling.”

For more information regarding recycling, please contact the City of Philadelphia Streets Department’s recycling hotline at 215-685-7329 or visit recyclingPAYS.phila.gov.

2/23/2007