Champaign City Council members voted unanimously to pursue a multifamily recycling program at the Oct. 6 study session.

The council voted for the city to be the main provider of recycling services, rather than each property owner meeting the mandate. Making the city responsible for recycling is more efficient in meeting waste reduction goals, said Dennis Schmidt, public works director. The proposed program was modeled after Urbana’s multifamily recycling service.

Under the approved option, the city would provide recycling services, contract a competitive bid from companies, purchase recycling bins, determine the location and number of bins and distribute promotional and educational materials. A multifamily building includes at least five units, including sororities and fraternities.

“The easier you make recycling, the more you’ll get recycled,” Schmidt said. “I don’t think that is necessarily going to be the case under option number two (the property owner recycling program).”

Cindy Eaglen, owner of the private recycling organization Illini Recycling, said she was happy that the city was addressing multifamily recycling.

“It’s a very expensive operation,” she said “They really need to evaluate the whole program.”

The approved recycling program will have no impact on the city’s budget, Schmidt said. A recurring service would cost the city $510,600. The cost will be absorbed by the property owners and money saved from closing the recycling drop off center in Champaign, Schmidt said.

The program will not start until at least November 2010.

Some members from the registered student organization students for environmental concerns attended the meeting and spoke during the audience participation time,

“We took great pleasure in the report,” said Anthony Larson, president of Students for Environmental Concerns and senior in ACES. “Education is very important for this.”

While motioning to the 50 member audience, Larson said the council can look to community members to help educate Champaign residents about how to properly recycle.

Eaglen said that she has witnessed improper recycling techniques. She said recycled items must be clean before they are discarded, otherwise they are just considered trash.

The goal for recycling is 2,600 tons per year, about 20 percent of total recyclable material, Schmidt said.

Cassie Carroll, part of the Illinois Green Business Association and Urbana resident, said the recycling program the city is moving toward will be better in the long run.

“It will have a larger impact,” Carroll said. “It will be more unified because it is mandated, so it will have better success.”