Recycling Containers Bad Concept

By Terry Endersen

Regarding last week’s editorial, “Recycling Containers Should Move Ahead,” I have to disagree on many of your points.

You wish to allow recycling containers everywhere in the city (beaches, all parks, public places, etc.) with advertising plastered on the side — and you think the residents of this city should just accept this, since (we’re told) it doesn’t cost the city anything.

The proposal that the Marine Advisory Commission finally passed (after two prior motions failed because of lack of specifics from Shoreline Media) was only after agreeing to a one-year contract with a buyout option after the one year. So if the cost to create and place the bins is $300,000, and Shoreline Media says it will take five years for them to recoup their costs, what do you think the city will have to pay to exercise the buyout? I figure the cost will be $240,000, and the city gets to remove, replace or maintain the problem.

You say it makes sense to make it easy to recycle those plastic water bottles in the first place instead of being forced to organize monthly beach cleanups to pick them out of the sand. Have you ever been to a beach cleanup? Rarely anything picked up is recyclable or came from people on the sand or bike path. The trash washes up from the ocean and are bits and pieces of Styrofoam, cigarettes and plastic bags from far away. If a person on the sand couldn’t hit one of the existing trashcans with the bottle, you actually think they would hit the recycle bin?

I live in Belmont Shore and every single day, multiple individuals come through the alley and pick through the recycle bins. Not once have I seen them stopped. The proposed recycle bins will definitely make their job easier. And so the city will soon discover that their “share” of the revenue from the recyclables will be far less than expected.

The Peninsula Residents Association opted out (of the proposed recycling bins on the beach) after they got a presentation on the proposal, because they didn’t like what they saw. They don’t own the beach, but they are certainly successful in maintaining the beauty of it. The Belmont Shore Residents Association was refused a presentation on the proposal or contact information for Shoreline Media when requested. Hmm, wonder why? More specific information distributed means more resistance!

As for residents, please educate yourselves. Check out the Marine Advisory Commission section of the city of Long Beach Web site, March 13 and April 10 meeting minutes, to see the “devil in the details” or lack thereof. Unfortunately, you won’t find any pictures of the bins (max 3’x3’x6’) or locations. The web address is: http://www.longbeach.gov/park/commissions/marine_advisory.asp.

There are too many unanswered questions about Shoreline Media (no Web site, no incorporation in California) and the proposal specifics, to go ahead with this. May 20 is when this is to be presented to the City Council. We have another costly LNG or electronic billboard fiasco brewing.

Terry Endersen is a Belmont Shore resident.