Parking Meters Spit Out Nearly 45 Tons Of Non-Recyclable Trash
By Samantha Abernethy in News on Feb 21, 2013 11:20PM
Chicago dumps nearly 45 tons of non-recyclable parking stickers in the trash each year, according to Gapers Block's calculations. We've all been so busy complaining about how much a parking spot costs, we hadn't even thought to be pissed about the environmental effects of the material LAZ Parking makes us put on the dashboard.
First, let's look at the parking receipts themselves -- stickers mounted on plastic-coated paper. The stickers are meant to accommodate the small number of motorcyclists who must affix the receipt to their headlamp. According to the EPA, most stickers cannot be recycled due to the "pressure sensitive adhesive" backing. (One exception being Post-It Notes, which have a lighter coating of adhesive that can be removed in the recycling process.) Similarly, coated paper may or may not be recyclable depending on the coating used. LAZ Parking would not discuss details, citing company policy against sharing "proprietary information."
The Department of Streets & Sanitation told Gapers Block it collects about 100 million tons of trash per year and 55,000 tons of recyclable material. The measly 45 tons of parking stickers probably isn't their top priority, but Gapers suggests several easy fixes.