We have always been a recycling family. As a matter of fact, we usually have more recycling than garbage. I really like the covered big, blue bins but wish recycling took place weekly as in the past. I know that with the big bin, more can be contained. However, alternate week collection overloads the bins of serious recyclers. This week, the top of our bin did not close. Is alternate week recycling really as cost effective as weekly orange bin collection? Also, what can homeowners do about people who open and raid big blue bins looking for for cans and bottles with deposit designations? Our can does not contain those, but the potential for "quite a mess"after a "bin dive" is there. Thanks for the opportunity to comment!

Hi Helen - thank you for your post. We are happy to hear the Silchenko family are recycling champs! Alternate week collection is more cost efficient than the weekly pick-up of the orange bins. Having said that, we certainly don't want to hinder your impressive recycling efforts so my suggestion is for you to give the new schedule a try for a few more cycles. If you are consistently filling "Big Blue" and unable to close the lid, you can request a second blue rolling cart. After all, our goals with the new automated system include increasing recycling, limiting litter and cutting fuel costs, so getting you a second cart will help accomplish one of those goals. I would also suggest monitoring any activity of others sifting through your barrel over the next few pick-up cycles. Perhaps the lid on the barrel will deter some of that activity.

We were wondering why the medicine containers are no longer recycleable. We have always removed any identifying labels and prescription bottles are coded with a recycling number. Are vitamin containers of plastic also included in this ban? What about glass containers for medicines - over the counter for example. We seem to have moved backwards as we have always recycled all items we could and we are now accumulating a separate pile for these other questioinalbe items. I hope you will reconsider as this does not make any sense. Thanks

I can already see a reduction in the amount of litter appearing in our yard following trash pickup, so I am thrilled with Big Blue, even though I wish it were a more subtle color as it is too big to squeeze into the garage. I agree with Claudia that it seems some items that Willimantic would take are not accepted by Windsor Sanitation and that does represent a step backward. I believe the Town Mgr. can request the addition of other recyclables although the hauler may not be able to comply for some reason (Is that true Enita?) Another suggestion for Helen, if she doesn't already do this, is to crush some of the containers she puts in big blue (eg. milk jugs, juice cartons) and to insert smaller cans inside larger ones. Doing so will fit more inside Big Blue.