Recycling in Mobile

Recycling has become one of those issues where, if local governments don't get it right, the private sector eventually will. It may take a lot of money and a lot of support on behalf of the surrounding communities, but the idea of recycling has ramped up to the point where cities have embraced it as a way of life.

I wholeheartedly believe Mobile's no exception to that fact. The city itself doesn't give much back by way of recycling -- sure, there's the main recycling center on Government St. near Ann, but the city doesn't provide a means for people to transport their materials. God forbid someone from West Mobile should have to recycle.

Private groups throughout Mobile, however, have taken a stand on this issue, and it may be working. Over the last decade groups in the mainstream have been gaining more press coverage (see the latest Lagniappe issues and archives from the Press-Register to get a sense), and the popularity of recycling has reached many thousands of homes in the metropolitan area. There are even new paper recycling bins all around the city, thanks to local environmental group Keep Mobile Beautiful.

But Mobile's size has also grown considerably over the last decade, and along with the rest of the United States, businesses in Mobile are not immune to the harsh effects our economy is taking on everyone’s wallets. Private-sector groups lose funding after people stop investing in their services.

Adding insult to injury, the green sector hasn't seen very good business in Mobile. The nation’s crushing economic situation has put a lot of local businesses wary of any ventures that won’t immediately produce strong profits. It’s enough to make any young enterprising green-lover shy away from the idea entirely!

Some people are fighting the urge to go out quietly into the good night. Such is the way with a lot of local groups like Earth Resources, Mobile's only curbside recycling program. According to co-owner Frank Modarelli, the program has been operating at a loss since its conception 15 years ago -- in order to keep fees low and to encourage participation on behalf of the community.

“I got into this because I am a recycling advocate and was irritated that there wasn't more going on when I moved back here,” he told me. “It would be nice to make modest living off what I do, but I will be satisfied if I can at least feel like I have moved recycling forward in Mobile.”

Now, after having joined forces with fellow environmental group Keep Mobile Beautiful, they have spread their pickup routes to over 10,000 homes in the West Mobile and Spring Hill areas and over 35 area businesses. Hoping that their crushing financial situation would garner more public support -- and thus, a longer-lasting, positive impact on the community -- they've been looking to promote themselves through corporate sponsorships.

As a follow-up to this entry I plan to speak with Frank personally and find out more, and perhaps do some research on brainstorming the logistics of this issue. There is still a lot of work ahead, but it can be done!

In the meantime, you can find out all about their business and services here. View their services and see if they’re available for pick-up in your area. If not, let Frank and the others know you want to invest in their services. I’m more than certain they’ll accommodate your area.