After receiving a ticket from the City, a resident aims to make recycling easier for others.
Martha Witte, of 12th and Wilder streets, separates her recyclables to avoid getting a ticket. Staff Photo by Greg Bezanis
Making sure there are no recyclables being wrongly disposed of, Christopher Smith handles the weekly choir of sorting through the garbage.
"He'll pull that kind of thing out and say, 'This is recyclable,'" wife Martha Witte said of her husband. "We're very dedicated to it."
The couple from 12th and Wilder streets was shocked to find a $25 ticket Nov. 19 courtesy of SWEEP (Streets and Walkways Education and Enforcement Program) for not separating recyclables from rubbish. The initiative has been around since June 1991.
"We assume we didn't and we're regular recyclers," she said. "We've been doing this for years."
Violations include mixing rubbish and recycling, high weeds, and litter among others, said Carlton Williams, sanitation deputy commissioner of the Streets Department. Run by the city, the program aims to educate citizens about their responsibilities in regard to the Sanitation Code. Following the education process in a community, ticketing generally begins six to nine months later, he said.
"Our officers attend community meetings to talk about the rules and regulations and make sure you are in compliance with them," Williams said.
While SWEEP is trying to educate the public, they may be targeting the wrong audience, said Christine Knapp, director of outreach for PennFuture and Passyunk Square Civic Association's vice president.
"It's a hard nut to crack," she said. "You can go to a civic association and give presentations on recycling, but chances are everyone who's attending the meeting is already recycling...It's time for them to try some new tactics because you have to get to people where they are and not where you are."
Witte, who has lived in Philadelphia for more than 20 years, was familiar with the program to a degree, she said.
"I'm familar with some of what [the SWEEP officers] do, but the ticketing aspect is what I was concerned with," she said.
So she e-mailed Knapp to further understand their ticketing process.
"In her case, it sounded like they were being more aggressive than usual since they didn't give a warning first," Knapp said of Witte's situation.
"A lot of it depends on the officer's discretion," Williams said about the issuance of warnings versus citations after looking through the trash.
For most, 2012 has become a buzzword in popular culture, from blockbuster movies to online survival guides. But thanks to Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s “Greenworks Philadelphia” plan, locals now have their own key year to focus on — 2015.
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1. Maureen said... on Feb 20, 2009 at 10:30AM
“I was actually hoping to get some tips here and am disappointed that the article didn't deliver on its title. I'm fairly new to South Philadelphia. Where can one get a recycling bin anyway? They should be available in all neighborhoods - not everyone has a car to drive all over to get one. If anyone has any ideas, please be sure to post! Many thanks! ”