Fairfield Industries

"Fairfield has been a leader in recycling participation since we began the curbside program nearly 20 years ago," responded Mayor Ed Malloy. "I am not surprised to see the strong showing for this next level of community participation. Our resolve as a community to conserve resources and protect the environment is a strong driver for this success. It is one of the foundations of our sustainability efforts". When first introduced, the single-stream program was met with mixed reactions from residents - mostly due to the size of the containers which allow for large amounts of recyclable materials. While many residents praised the ease and practicality of the containers, others found them to be too large or cumbersome. After two months of use, however, many residents are recycling for the first time, while others are recycling additional material they previously had thrown into the trash. In addition, Fairfield City Hall is now recycling enough paper to fill the bin weekly. And while Fairfield's sustainability efforts also call for residents to reduce and reuse materials as much as possible - the new program is quickly reducing their contribution to the SEMCO landfill. "Waste Management is proud to be a part of the Fairfield community and the single-stream recycling program," said Carrie Spencer, spokesperson for Waste Management of Iowa. "It is encouraging to see the level of commitment to this program from families and businesses. We hope to see recycling rates increase even more as word spreads about the program." More information on single-stream recycling and what can be recycled is available at www.wm.com, www.fairfieldgogreen.com and www.cityoffairfieldiowa.com; as well as on display in the Fairfield Public Library.