The City of Rehoboth Beach has had residential recycling for over 15 years.
But the resort is now trying to become even more eco-friendly by bringing recycling to the beach and boardwalk:
Rehoboth tried a recycling program on the beach and boardwalk in 2003 when its residential program launched. However, it was not successful, “Meaning there was a lot of contamination; contamination meaning things were put in the recycle bins that were not recyclable, such as broken umbrellas, metal chairs, trash, garbage, food and dirty diapers,” said former Rehoboth Commissioner Stan Mills, chair of the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk and Beach Committee.
Mills says his Committee wants to try recycling again on the beach and boardwalk.
"What we’ve done is - we’ve looked at a consultant’s report that was looking at the 2003 program," said Mills. "And that report identified ways to reduce contamination, such as better signage on the recycling bins, identifying that only plastic bottles and aluminum cans are desired.”
Mills says in the next few weeks theCommittee will ask City Manager Sharon Lynn to start a trial recycling program at least two locations on the boardwalk.
He hopes to have at least two recycling bins in place by the end of the month - just in time for the annual Sea Witch Festival. One will be on the boardwalk at Virginia Avenue and the other at Wilmington Avenue.
He says if the pilot is successful, recycling bins will be everywhere hopefully by next summer.
Mills notes the cost for the pilot program is minimal, a few hundred dollars for the signage and the bins.
