Single-stream recycling coming for Roanoke City residents

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ROANOKE CITY (WSLS 10) - Roanoke City officials said they hope to see less trash through a new recycling initiative.

Currently, some residents think recycling can be confusing. Bottles and cans are picked up one week and paper the next. Rene Rauschis one of those residents. She said recycling can be a pain and is one of the reasons she doesn't recycle often.

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City officials said that's why it's transition to single-stream recycling - meaning all recyclables are placed in one large container rather than being separated by residents before pickup. 

Starting in October, city residents can put recyclable items in a blue bin, which will roll onto driveways in August.

It's a convenience Skip Decker of Solid Waste Management believes more residents and business owners will participate in.

"It didn't happen overnight," Decker explained. "We've been working on this for two years developing infrastructure, looking at a possibility of cost models and looking at how we're gonna collect this material."

In addition to convenience, the program is expected to save the city about $277,000 the first year. Part of the program is a $179,000 grant from the Recycling Partnership to encourage more people to see the benefits.

The recycling program is free for city residents.

Blacksburg and Montgomery County will also start single-stream recycling in July.

As part of the program, the city will not collect bagged trash as a bulk item.