Campaign Debate Addresses Recycling

Wichita Eagle:

Trash prices need to be lower and recycling needs to be easier for Sedgwick County residents, according to four candidates running for the Sedgwick County Commission.

At a meeting Monday of the Waste Control and Recycling Coalition, candidates James Donnell, Gwen Welshimer, Mike Kinard and Kelly Parks said they would support franchising trash pickup — allowing trash companies to submit bids for the right to serve areas of the county.

Putting trash pickup out for bid would reduce costs for trash service and recycling, encouraging more people to recycle, they said.

Incumbents Ben Sciortino and Dave Unruh were not present.

“Franchising could save people money, but we can’t let it become a monopoly situation,” said Parks, who is running against Kinard in the 4th District. The 4th District includes north Wichita, Maize, Park City and Valley Center.

Kinard agreed that the county should work with cities to franchise trash and recycling pickup.

“Now you’ve got one company driving to your house, then across town to another house,” he said. “They spend all their time driving around town, driving the price up.”

Donnell, a candidate for commissioner in the 1st District, which covers northeast Sedgwick County, said he supports franchising but only if trash were not taken to a landfill. He said he does not have a specific idea where to put the trash.

“I’m not really interested in just reducing the cost 50 cents,” Donnell said. “I want to really get at the problem and make it environmentally sound. If the franchise would dispose of it other than in a landfill and have the proper ways to preserve it and use it, that’s possible.”

He pointed to other cities that make money on organic waste by converting it to energy.

Sedgwick County lags behind some areas of the state in recycling. About 9 percent of Sedgwick County’s trash is recycled, compared with 18 percent statewide and 25 percent nationally.

Parks said he doesn’t want to make recycling mandatory but would offer tax breaks for businesses that invest in recycling.