toledoblade.com --

Toledo residents are obviously eager to save $2.50 a month.

The recycling pledge cards that will entitle residents to a discount on the new $5.50 monthly trash collection fee have been flying out of stores and libraries where they were put on Friday.

"The kits went out as fast as they came in," Nancy Goldsmith, office coordinator for The Andersons at Talmadge Road and Monroe Street, said yesterday.

City Council last month established a $5.50 monthly refuse fee, with a reduced rate of $3 for people who pledge to participate in curbside recycling.

William Franklin, director of the city's Department of Public Service, said about 2,000 sets of cards and recycling starter kits were placed at The Andersons and Kroger stores and the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library to be distributed to branches.

The starter kits contain the pledge cards, which must be mailed to the city's Department of Public Utilities, as well as bumper stickers that can be affixed to a durable bin or container to hold recycling items.

"They are going fast. We just printed another 4,000 cards," Mr. Franklin said. He said supplies for stores and libraries will be replenished as quickly as possible.

Kathy Lundberg, manager of the Heatherdowns library branch, said they received only about 25 of the kits.

"People have been calling. We could use some more," Ms. Lundberg said.

Residents have through May to turn in a pledge card and get the recycling credit retroactive to April 2. The addresses that pledge to recycle will be recorded in a city billing database in June and will be credited on quarterly water and sewer bills starting July 1.

Pledge cards in protective plastic bags are being dropped into recycling bins at homes that have recycling collection today. Those are primarily in the central city, the old south end, and parts of south and west Toledo.

Over the next two weeks, all homes that already recycle should receive the pledge cards.

The fee is being charged to single-family homes, duplexes, and apartments of up to four units. Commercial and multi-family apartment complexes are required to contract for private trash hauling.

Mr. Franklin noted that the cards can be downloaded and printed from the city's Web site, www.toledo.oh.gov. The cards should be mailed to the City of Toledo, Pledge To Recycle, 401 South Erie St., Toledo, 43604.

The trash fees were enacted by council last month as part of the 2007 general operating fund budget to raise about $2.9 million this year.

The revenues were estimated based on an increase in the participation rate from 17 percent now to about 40 percent.

Mr. Franklin predicted participation could top 50 percent.

He said if enough people start setting out recycling bins, it could become necessary to switch one or more garbage collection routes to recycling duty, or go to weekly recycling collection.

The recycling fee has ignited the first expansion of interest in curbside recycling since the service went citywide in 2001.

Greater participation in recycling has been a goal of the city for years, but efforts have not succeeded. "With the unlimited service, there was no economic advantage [to recycle] and it was easier [to throw recyclables away]," Mr. Franklin said.

Contact Tom Troy at: tomtroy@theblade.com or 419-724-6058.

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