Top Stories Wichita

BY BECCY TANNER

The Wichita Eagle

The red box bins scattered throughout Wichita are on their way out.

The company that owns the bins, American Recyclers, based in Tulsa, began loading the bins on flatbed trucks this past weekend.

“We started the process. It won’t take us that long to get them out,” said John Givan, local representative for the company.

The company, which Givan said has successfully placed the bins in larger cities throughout the Southwest, has had a tumultuous history the past few months in Wichita.

Almost immediately, Wichitans complained that the bins were frequently overflowing and filled with junk.

Some complained that advertising on the bins was misleading. The company paid Child Start $20 a bin to use its name on bins. All recyclable materials, however, went to American Recyclers, a for-profit, out-of-state company.

Goodwill Industries of Kansas spoke out against the bins, with officials saying they had noticed a drop in donations since the 60-plus bins were placed in the city several months ago.

City inspectors found the company to be in violation of a city code stating that clothing is not considered a recyclable material and should not be placed in curbside recycling containers. The company asked city officials to consider changing
Wichita’s code.

The Metropolitan Area Planning Commission upheld the city’s ordinance — in essence making the bins illegal in Wichita.

“The current code does not allow for curbside collection for used clothing,” said Dale Miller, current plans manager for the Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department.

The company has until the end of the month to get the boxes out of town, said Kurt Schroeder, superintendent of the city’s Office of Central Inspection. His department received roughly 15 complaints about people dumping trash outside the
bins.

American Recyclers officials said they were sorry.

“It was our mistake,” Givan said. “We did not check into the city ordinances. In our other cities, clothing is recyclable. We did not try to butt heads with Goodwill or the Salvation Army. We just tried to get people who normally don’t donate to
donate.”

Goodwill Industry officials said Monday that they were relieved.

“For me personally, I’m glad to see them go. I think it will be better for our community,” said Gayle Goetz, vice president of development for Goodwill Industries of Kansas.

Goetz said Goodwill had tried in the past to set up similar bins but that it was often impossible to control the litter that quickly accumulated around them.

In addition, what usable items were placed in these bins were not being used locally, she said.

“Wichitans like to keep their donations in Wichita,” she said. “The bins said they were donating to Child Start, which they were in part, but the rest of the recyclables were not only going out of state but out of the country.”

Teresa Rupp, executive director of Child Start, said Monday that she could see both sides of the issue.

“It certainly has been a revenue stream that was helpful to Child Start, and that revenue will be reduced, and that creates some additional challenges and opportunities for us,” she said.

Givan said his company will move on to other cities.

“I’m very disappointed,” he said. “I’m disappointed for Child Start — our goal was to get to where we were looking at donating $30,000 to $40,000 a year to them. This was my baby. Our purpose wasn’t to take donations away from
Goodwill or Salvation Army. We got a bad reputation from the public even though 95 percent of the people donated the way we asked.”

Reach Beccy Tanner at 316-268-6336 or btanner@wichitaeagle.com.

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