By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Progressive Waste Solutions gave a very convincing argument for the benefits of recycling at a “Lunch and Learn” seminar at the River Region Chamber of Commerce office on Tuesday.
The event featured a presentation that detailed the benefits of the single stream recycling method and was accented by a delicious lunch.
Michael Werk, regional recycling manager for the company, said single stream recycling has made it easier than ever to process recyclable products. There is no sorting, label-peeling or rinsing involved. Instead of sorting recyclable materials out by type, Werk said the program allows participants to mix them all together, making the process as simple as throwing away regular trash.
“Where a lot of people are misled is they think they have to rinse everything out and peel the labels off and do all this. You don’t need to do that. As long as the container’s empty or pretty close to it, it can go in there. With the bottles, you can have the lid on, you can have the label on it, not a problem. It’s really simple, really easy,” said Werk.
The only exception to this method is glass. Because there is no glass processing facility in the region, transporting used glass would cost more than the material is worth to process.
Werk also said that it’s ultimately cheaper to recycle, especially for businesses. By implementing the curbside service, Werk said the waste would still be picked up by the same truck in the same dumpster, keeping overhead costs the same. The company offers residential, commercial and industrial services.
“The difference is the material that’s in that dumpster. Normally we have material that we have to pay to go take it to a landfill. Now we have material that has some value. So we take and pass some of that savings on to our clients. That allows them to save money by recycling. Recycling is cheaper than landfilling,” he said.
Progressive Waste Solutions is currently in the process of implementing pilot programs in two St. James Parish schools. Werk believes that teaching children to recycle will eventually change the culture as they pass the practice on to adults.  
“Kids at school love this. They love to be able to share what impact they’re having on the environment. Diverting 30 to 40 percent from the landfill is really easy to do at a school. If we can implement our program at the schools in St. James and St. John parishes, we would capture 161,762 pounds or 330 tons of material annually.”
For more information about services, or to request a quote, visit the company’s website at progressivewaste. com.