Is every-other-week curbside collection of recyclables worth the energy savings in gas?
Although you may think that every other week collection of recycling saves energy by reducing fossil fuel combustion from trucks by 50%, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) found that the consequences of this collection method actually outweighs the benefits. Less frequent collection leads to 9-20% fewer participants, fewer recyclables, and greater time for contamination of recycled materials. Check out Oregon’s DEQ GHG report for more information.
