Mayor Ron Littlefield told the City Council on Tuesday that his approach to recycling is catching on.

He said citizens are increasingly using new recycling convenience centers. And he said participation is up in the curbside recycling that was cut from once a week to once a month.

Lee Norris, Deputy Administrator for the Department of Public Works, and Tera Roberts, Employment Supports Director at Orange Grove Center, presented information regarding recycling in Chattanooga from January to May.

“Overall we have seen an increase in participation at convenience centers and a decrease in the percentage of residue from the materials collected through curbside recycling pickup,” said Mr. Norris.

He added, “We are very encouraged only five months into the new recycling program. We can already see how the city is working to meet its objectives of improving recycling in Chattanooga and running the program more cost-efficiently. Our statistics reveal that the education campaign is working: more people are utilizing convenience centers to recycle and the product we collect from curbside recycling is significantly cleaner.”

Since January 2007 three new convenience centers have been established and the Access Road center has been given a permanent location.

From January through May 2007 there have been 21,846 uses of the three new convenience centers and the center at Warner Park. Participation is up 128 percent since the convenience centers have been in place and the education program launched, which is a much higher level of participation compared to the 9,564 uses during January through May of last year, officials said.

“The participation at convenience centers continues to increase each month,” said Ms. Roberts. “In May of this year, usage was up 27.48 percent from January of this year. We’re pleased to report that we’ve averaged about 94.36 tons of recyclable materials each month. Our clients are learning valuable vocational skills, which are necessary for future employment in our community, by working at the convenience centers and sorting recyclables. Plus, they greatly benefit from and enjoy interaction with other members of our community at these centers.”

Approximately 100 Orange Grove clients work in the processing of recyclable materials and at the convenience centers, collectively earning almost $22,500 per month. At least 12 additional jobs will be created for clients at Orange Grove by the end of 2007 due to new permanent locations of convenience centers, officials said.

From January through May of 2006, 43.2 percent of the items collected through curbside recycling pickup were redirected to the landfill, due to contamination from improper recycling or because those items were not recyclable. From January through May of 2007, the percentage of residue or un-recyclable material has dropped 6.52 percent.

Officials said cuts in curbside recycling have brought a reduction in use of diesel fuel by 8,090 gallons - or about $20,000 in savings.

Also presented at the meeting were the efforts of the city’s education program, Recycle Right. Included in these efforts were weekly education appearances in high-traffic areas, multiple speaking engagements with community organizations, multimedia advertising and media relations, website development, promotions and distributions. Initiatives for 2007 include working with the Chattanooga Market and Orange Grove Center to establish weekly recycling on Sundays at the Market and to develop an education program for schools beginning this fall.

Next steps for the city of Chattanooga’s recycling program include the completion of permanent locations for convenience centers and the continuation of the "aggressive education program," the mayor said.

He said a future convenience center site in Brainerd is the old Target store.