Recycling Up, Solid Waste Disposal Down in Beachwood

Beachwood residents saved nearly 300 more tons of reusable materials in 2012 than in the previous year.

Beachwood Service Director Dale Pekarek said the city's curbside recycling program collected 772.45 tons of recyclables last year, compared to 481.59 tons in 2011.

At the same time, solid waste collections trended downward by almost the exact amount. Residents disposed of 3,488 tons in 2011, compared to 3,189 tons last year.

"It was almost a direct crossover," Pekarek said. "We've shifted from dumping in the ground to recycling, and that's all curbside."

Pekarek told Beachwood City Council this week that it would have cost the city about $11,000 to put the extra materials under the ground if residents had not recycled them.