Bing's campaign statement on trash incinerator

Posted by Minni

When running for Mayor Dave Bing has this to say about recycling and about his position on Detroit's method of municipal waste disposal:

Q: Do you think Detroit should continue to send garbage to its waste-to-energy incinerator?

A: In fiscal year 2007-2008, Detroit residents paid $172/ton for trash disposal – about 5 to 7 times as much as nearby suburbs, and about 14 times what private haulers paid to have their trash burned at the incinerator ($172/ton versus $12/ton).

In 2008, the city council voted to end sending our trash to its waste to energy incinerator. I support this action. Detroit can sell materials that are currently going into the incinerator on the global market. The city can not sell what now it burns. That is more money that could be earmarked for our deficit. I have been informed that of the nation's 30 largest cities, Detroit is the only major city without some type of curbside recycling program. While confronting our mounting deficit, I can not promise a city wide curbside recycling program, I would support working with the private and non-profit sectors on pilot programs.