Tolland Recycling Rates Drop

Tolland's recycling rates have dropped for the 2011-2012 fiscal year, but the town is already taking measures to increase recycling, which is a source of revenue for the town.

Director of Administrative Services Michael Wilkinson said that Willimantic Waste Paper Co. began distributing 95-gallon recycling containers on July 23 to two hundred residents who expressed an interest in the larger containers.

Wilkinson said that any increase in recycling for the town is a financial gain.

"With recycling, we get money back," he said, adding that, given market fluctuations, the town earned an average of $21.68 per ton of recycling this year, amounting to $37,622 in revenue.

Equally important, getting rid of refuse is an expense for Tolland. Wilkinson said that when the 2011-2012 recycling rate dipped 5.6 percent, Tolland also saw an almost identical increase in the waste disposal rate.

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He added that the town will continue to look for ways to encourage recycling and to make it easier, including asking the town council to consider changing the standard sizes for refuse and recycling containers.

The town is also maintaining a waiting list for residents who would like to receive a 95-gallon container. While the first 200 containers were distributed for free, Wilkinson said it is uncertain at this point if there will be a fee to swap in the future.

Residents can find more information on what to recycle on the town's website.