Mpls. Approves Single-Sort Recycling

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - The Minneapolis City Council has voted in favor of single-sort recycling.

Currently, Minneapolis won't take your recycling unless the cans, glass, plastic and newspapers are separated. But a pilot program last year tried out single sorting, and now, the city said that's the way to go.

Twenty percent of households in Minneapolis recycle, compared to 30 percent in St. Paul, where multiple sorting is also used.

Friday's decision to switch to single sorting will save neighbors the weekly hassle, and money.

Minneapolis hopes to recycle 35 percent of waste in the city by 2015.

More recycling also means more revenue for the city, as it sells the recycled material to keep costs down.

The city said when people recycle more, their garbage will decrease, so the average household's bill for waste and recycling shouldn't change.

Overall, the new system should save the city nearly $180,000 a year. Minneapolis hopes to get the program in place sometime early next year.