Every recycling container in Moline will be replaced starting today. Moline's Public Works department will drop off 95-gallon containers and pick up the old 48-gallon bins.
The old bins will disappear on their regular collection days, and Rehrig Pacific, the new manufacturer, will distribute the new ones over the next three weeks.
General Manager of Municipal Services Rodd Schick says city residents should be patient, because there may be a few days between when the old cart is picked up and the replacement is delivered.
Schick says looking in any regular Moline garbage bin shows the reasons for the upgrade.
"In our own collection of the solid waste stream, in other words, the garbage, we see a fair amount of recyclables going into that," he said. "In going out and doing some checking, the reason that people are throwing away recyclables is because they don't have enough room in the smaller 48-gallon carts that are currently being used."
In addition to the new size, Radio Frequency Identification chips will also be installed in the containers. Schick says this will let the department track trends in recycling and make their pickup routes more cost efficient.
Residents can also now include glass and aseptic packaging in their recycling containers, or basically anything with a recycling symbol on it.
Residents who don't want a 95-gallon cart will be able to exchange it for a 48-gallon one by requesting it on the public works website, or by calling.