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Concerns <br />While the rate of recycling has stagnated throughout Minnesota, <br />the rate of garbage generation has increased. Statewide each <br />person generated 1.14 tons of garbage in 2000 up from 0.93 tons <br />in 1993. A 1999 study shows that 35 percent of our garbage by <br />weight is paper and 26 percent organic material such as food <br />scraps much of which could be recycled or composted. It ap- <br />pears Roseville residents could be doing a better job recycling <br />paper. The 2002 survey of Roseville residents shows almost all <br />those who recycle put out newspapers. Approximately 90 <br />What Do You Recycle? <br />percent set out food and beverage cans, glass bottles and jars, cardboard and plastic bottles. <br />While eighty percent set out magazines and only 63 percent set out junk mail. <br />Households with older residents typically have a lower volume of recycling because there are <br />fewer people than in homes with families. However we do not know if per household volume of <br />recycling will decrease as Roseville's population continues to age. <br />The survey also suggests there may be a problem with storage of recycling. Fifty-four percent of <br />residents said the 18-gallon bins did not meet their needs. When those residents were asked what <br />would make it better, 66 percent said make it larger, 61 % said make it wheeled and 34% said <br />make it covered. In the focus group of homeowners one resident admitted he does not recycle <br />glass simply because he does not have the room in his garage for storage. When offered a second <br />blue bin, he declined saying he did not have additional surface area in his garage to store the <br />second bin. Roseville allows residents who request an additional bin to pick one up for free at <br />City Hall. A number of residents use multiple bins to ease their sorting. Typically they put <br />containers in one bin and paper products in the other. <br />The bins can be retrofitted to add wheels and covers, but containers cannot be made much bigger <br />before running into conflict with OSHA regulations. <br />An additional problem is that a few years back Roseville <br />ordered a bad batch of bins (see photo at left). They are <br />substandard and have a much higher rate of cracking and <br />breaking than the current bins. The new bins are guaranteed <br />to last at least 5 years. Roseville replaces one to two of the <br />old bins every week. <br />Extra Recycling <br />When residents call the City wondering what to do with <br />recycling that they don't wish to keep in their house until the <br />next collection day the residents are referred to Vasko Recy- <br />cling at 309 Como Avenue in St. Paul. Vasko is a private <br />company that works in conjunction with St. Paul's Eureka <br />Recycling (formerly the Neighborhood Energy Consortium) <br />to operate a free drop off site for recyclables. Generally the <br />calls to Roseville's Recycling Coordinator about this are from <br />59 <br />