Curbside Recycling in Bossier City

DEAR RESIDENTS OF BOSSIER CITY:

AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, THE CITY OF SHREVEPORT HAS JUST BEGUN CURBSIDE RECYCLING OR "CURB IT". I CONTACTED MAYOR WALKERS OFFICE RECENTLY TO FIND OUT WHEN BOSSIER COULD EXPECT A SIMILAR PROGRAM. I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO PLANS TO DO SO AND HE DIDN'T BELIEVE THE MAJORITY OF BOSSIER RESIDENTS WOULD SUPPORT THE PROGRAM. I AM HOPING THAT HE WAS WRONG AND WE CAN CONVINCE HIM TO CHANGE HIS MIND.

SHREVEPORT HAS APPROXIMATELY FOUR TIMES THE POPULATION OF BOSSIER CITY, SO THE COST/BENEFIT RATIO WILL DIFFER, BUT THE PRINCIPLE IS STILL THE SAME. REDUCE WASTE, REDUCE COST. SHREVEPORT ESTIMATES THAT THEY WILL REDUCE THEIR DISPOSAL OF WASTE BY 3000 TONS PER MONTH WITH THIS NEW PROGRAM. BASED ON TODAYS DISPOSAL COST THAT IS A MONTHLY SAVINGS OF $68,000. THIS SAVINGS WILL COVER THE COST TO THE CITY FOR SUPPLYING THE RECYCLING BINS.

THE ADDITIONAL COST TO EACH RESIDENT OF SHREVEPORT FOR THIS PROGRAM WILL ONLY BE $2.50 PER MONTH BEGINNING JANUARY 2011. THE COST TO BOSSIER RESIDENTS FOR THIS PROGRAM MAY EVEN BE LESS, BUT CERTAINLY NO MORE THAN THAT OF SHREVEPORT.

I REALIZE WITH THE RECENT INCREASE IN WATER RATES, SOME MAY BE RELUCTANT. BUT, UNTIL WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO LOWER THE WATER RATES, I BELIEVE THAT WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT WE CAN ALL REDUCE OUR WATER USAGE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO COMPENSATE FOR THE COST OF THIS PROGRAM.

THE FUTURE BENEFITS OF THIS PROGRAM WILL FAR EXCEED THE COSTS INVOLVED. IMPLEMENTING THE CONVENIENCE OF CURBSIDE RECYCLING WOULD RESULT IN INCREASED RECYCLING PARTICIPATION. THE BENEFITS GO BEYOND REDUCING WASTE TO OUR LANDFILL. PREVENTING WASTE NOT ONLY SAVES RESOURCES AND REDUCES POLLUTION, IT ALSO SAVES MONEY.

I HOPE YOU WILL SHOW YOUR SUPPORT BY SIGNING THIS PETITION AND PASS THIS ALONG TO YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS.

*PLEASE SIGN ONLY IF A RESIDENT OF BOSSIER CITY, LA.*