DOTHAN, Ala. – Online shopping, higher adoption rates of eco-friendly practices, changing environmental services policies, and manufacturing delays have left Dothan with a shortage of blue recycling bins.
Steven Burgess, environmental services manager, said there has been a major increase in residents’ requests for recycling carts.
“Our orders have doubled, due in part because we’ve stopped picking stuff up off the ground,” Burgess, said on Monday. “It started during quarantine and its continued leading up to now.”
There are several reasons why more residents have begun to participate in the recycling program. Burgess said one of the reasons is simply because people were at home more during the coronavirus pandemic. While home and isolated, more people turned to online shopping to get their necessities, which resulted in residents having and needing to get rid of more cardboard boxes.
Burgess said general motivation to recycle has also been a growing trend among residents.
“We’ve always had a really good response in certain parts of the city, but we’re seeing more and more pop up,” Burgess said. “People are recognizing recycling just as a viable tool.”
Since March 2020, the Environmental Services Division has been operating under a “no touch” garbage pickup policy for residents. That policy was lifted two weeks ago, but Burgess said the department is continuing the no-touch policy for recyclable material – in the past, that has mostly consisted of cardboard boxes.
