RECYCLE: Re-think that decision

Regarding Friday’s (Nov. 6) article about Laureen Chaffin’s decision for the county to no longer accept “co-mingled recyclables” in rural areas, I’m concerned with what appears to be a short-sighted decision.

I can appreciate her comments about the higher contamination rate of co-mingled materials and the fact the county loses money separating cardboard, paper and aluminum.

That said, a simple solution would be to simply place three separate, clearly marked collection bins at the rural collection sites; one for cardboard, one for newspapers/magazines and one for aluminum cans.

Not only will this continue to encourage recycling, it removes the need for separating the recyclables at her end; thus saving labor costs while retaining the “pre-contamination” monetary value she’s worried about losing.

I’m no tree-hugger by any stretch, but eliminating rural paper and aluminum collection seems like a huge step backward.

J. SCOTT DEARDORFF

Coeur d’Alene