EAST LANSING, Mich. — Members of the media and community are invited to join the City of East Lansing, The Recycling Partnership and other partners at a special recycling press conference on Monday, Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. in downtown East Lansing’s Ann Street Plaza.
The press conference will serve to commemorate significant improvements to the City of East Lansing’s curbside recycling program, the value of public-private partnerships and the power of Michigan recycling as a job creator. In addition to celebrating the arrival of East Lansing’s new curbside recycling carts and the expansion of items that can be recycled at the curb, officials will also celebrate the arrival of East Lansing’s new hydraulic hybrid recycling truck – the first of its kind in Michigan.
Speakers at the press event will include East Lansing Mayor Nathan Triplett, The Recycling Partnership Executive Director Keefe Harrison and Michigan Recycling Coalition Executive Director Kerrin O’Brien, who is also a member of East Lansing’s Commission on the Environment. In addition to speaking about improvements to the curbside recycling program, Mayor Triplett will be making a surprise announcement at the press conference on behalf of Amcor.
There will be great photo opportunities with the new truck and carts; and the speakers will be available for media interviews after the press conference. Additionally, Coca-Cola will be sponsoring a refreshments table at the event. Ann Street Plaza is located at the northwest corner of the Albert-M.A.C. intersection in downtown East Lansing. The rain location for the press conference will be the East Lansing Department of Public Works, 1800 E. State Road.
About the CartsMore than 7,000 new, 96-gallon recycling carts will be delivered to East Lansing homes Sept. 28-Oct. 3 and collection with the new carts will begin the week of Oct. 5. The carts are being provided at no cost to residents thanks to a generous $125,000 grant from The Recycling Partnership and matching funds from the City of East Lansing. As a part of the transition from recycling bins to recycling carts, the City of East Lansing has been able to expand upon the list of recyclable items that can be collected at the curb, including the addition of boxboard, cardboard, household scrap metal, juice and food cartons, rigid plastic containers and more.
“This is a long-term solution for residents based in best practices and it is expected to increase the City’s recycling volumes by approximately 50 to 60 percent,” said East Lansing Environmental Services Administrator Cathy DeShambo. “We are excited to be able to offer an improved curbside recycling program to East Lansing residents and The Recycling Partnership has been a great partner in making it all possible.”
“We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with the City of East Lansing,” said The Recycling Partnership Executive Director Keefe Harrison. “Their commitment to the success of their recycling program is to be commended. We look forward to celebrating more materials being diverted from landfills and place back into hungry end markets across Michigan and the upper Midwest.”
About the TruckAs part of the recycling cart transition, the City of East Lansing has purchased a new hydraulic hybrid recycling truck – the first of its kind in Michigan. The new truck is a product of the City’s Green Fleet Policy and demonstrates the City’s commitment to actively reducing fuel consumption and emissions through fleet purchasing that considers alternative technologies.
The new truck is fully automated and has an Autocar® chassis equipped with the Parker RunWise® advanced series hybrid drive system. A hybrid by design, the truck utilizes two forms of energy; its first source originates from the diesel engine, while the second source is derived from brake energy. At low speeds, accumulated energy from the vehicle’s braking system is stored and used to power the truck each time it accelerates. It is only as the truck reaches highway speeds that the diesel engine is utilized. The truck is expected to consume 35-50 percent less fuel than a standard recycling truck and the City expects to see emissions lowered by as much as 48 tons in one year.
“As the primary recycling truck for the City’s new curbside recycling cart program, this green vehicle is just one more way that East Lansing continues to be a leader in implementing practices that enhance the City’s livability today while preserving resources for tomorrow,” said East Lansing Department of Public Works Director Scott House.