Birmingham Recycling Kicked Up To Twice A Month, City Buys Refuse Equipment

 ========= Old Image Removed =========1Array
(
    [_wp_attached_file] => Array
        (
            [0] => 2019/04/20190327_084543.jpg
        )

    [_wp_attachment_metadata] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:5:{s:5:"width";i:1920;s:6:"height";i:1440;s:4:"file";s:27:"2019/04/20190327_084543.jpg";s:5:"sizes";a:9:{s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-140x140.jpg";s:5:"width";i:140;s:6:"height";i:140;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-336x252.jpg";s:5:"width";i:336;s:6:"height";i:252;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-771x578.jpg";s:5:"width";i:771;s:6:"height";i:578;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:25:"20190327_084543-80x80.jpg";s:5:"width";i:80;s:6:"height";i:80;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-600x338.jpg";s:5:"width";i:600;s:6:"height";i:338;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-300x300.jpg";s:5:"width";i:300;s:6:"height";i:300;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-415x311.jpg";s:5:"width";i:415;s:6:"height";i:311;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-353x265.jpg";s:5:"width";i:353;s:6:"height";i:265;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:4:"file";s:27:"20190327_084543-125x125.jpg";s:5:"width";i:125;s:6:"height";i:125;s:9:"mime-type";s:10:"image/jpeg";}}s:10:"image_meta";a:11:{s:8:"aperture";d:1.7;s:6:"credit";s:0:"";s:6:"camera";s:16:"SAMSUNG-SM-G930A";s:7:"caption";s:0:"";s:17:"created_timestamp";i:1553676343;s:9:"copyright";s:0:"";s:12:"focal_length";s:3:"4.2";s:3:"iso";s:2:"50";s:13:"shutter_speed";s:18:"0.0013440860215054";s:5:"title";s:0:"";s:11:"orientation";i:1;}}
        )

    [_imagify_optimization_level] => Array
        (
            [0] => 0
        )

    [_imagify_data] => Array
        (
            [0] => a:2:{s:5:"sizes";a:10:{s:4:"full";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:6248975;s:14:"optimized_size";i:968252;s:7:"percent";d:84.510000000000005;}s:9:"thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:10960;s:14:"optimized_size";i:9959;s:7:"percent";d:9.1300000000000008;}s:6:"medium";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:40789;s:14:"optimized_size";i:37267;s:7:"percent";d:8.6300000000000008;}s:5:"large";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:198884;s:14:"optimized_size";i:183486;s:7:"percent";d:7.7400000000000002;}s:9:"wbhm-icon";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:4073;s:14:"optimized_size";i:3676;s:7:"percent";d:9.75;}s:13:"wbhm-featured";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:89359;s:14:"optimized_size";i:82461;s:7:"percent";d:7.7199999999999998;}s:20:"wbhm-featured-square";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:43532;s:14:"optimized_size";i:39890;s:7:"percent";d:8.3699999999999992;}s:18:"wbhm-featured-home";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:60471;s:14:"optimized_size";i:55451;s:7:"percent";d:8.3000000000000007;}s:22:"wbhm-featured-carousel";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:45090;s:14:"optimized_size";i:41245;s:7:"percent";d:8.5299999999999994;}s:14:"post-thumbnail";a:4:{s:7:"success";b:1;s:13:"original_size";i:8932;s:14:"optimized_size";i:8110;s:7:"percent";d:9.1999999999999993;}}s:5:"stats";a:3:{s:13:"original_size";i:6751065;s:14:"optimized_size";i:1429797;s:7:"percent";d:78.819999999999993;}}
        )

    [_imagify_status] => Array
        (
            [0] => success
        )

    [_media_credit] => Array
        (
            [0] => Mary Scott Hodgin
        )

    [_navis_media_credit_org] => Array
        (
            [0] => WBHM
        )

    [_navis_media_can_distribute] => Array
        (
            [0] => 1
        )

)
1649603930 
1626169730

Birmingham city residents who don't have a recycling bin often leave piles of material piled up on the curb.

Mary Scott Hodgin, WBHM

Birmingham has increased its recycling pick-up schedule to twice a month, though Mayor Randall Woodfin says his “full intent” is to eventually return to the program’s pre-COVID weekly schedule.

The city’s recycling program was temporarily halted by COVID-19 last April. It resumed three months later with a reduced, once-a-month pickup schedule that remained in effect for nearly a year. This month, pickups were increased to twice monthly, on the first and third Wednesday of each month. The next pick-up is scheduled for July 21.

Woodfin said the number of pickups would likely increase when the city’s public works department purchases additional vehicles. The council did approve the city’s purchase of one automatic refuse truck on Tuesday for just more than $322,000.

Last year, Woodfin floated the idea — to mixed reception — of privatizing the city’s waste collection program, calling its current form “unsustainable.”

Also approved Tuesday was the purchase of a landfill dozer for $712,575 and an excavator for $331,785. These purchases were highlighted by District 5 Councilor Darrell O’Quinn, who pulled them off the council’s consent agenda so that they could be read aloud before the public.

“I just wanted this one to be read because landfills are not free,” O’Quinn said. “A million dollars of equipment for just moving around dirt and trash at the landfill — not to mention all the other expenses. It’s just something to think about.”

 

Reflections after 43 years in an Alabama prison

James Jones is one of thousands of men who served life without parole in an Alabama prison. He spent 43 years at the St. Clair Correctional Facility before being released at the age of 77. 

U.S. stocks slide again as euphoria over Trump’s tariff pause starts to fade

U.S. stocks fell a day after posting spectacular gains over President Trump's decision to pause many of his tariffs. Now, some of that relief is starting to fade.

Aging former research chimps move to Chimp Haven

All of the former research chimpanzees that had been living on an Air Force base in New Mexico have finally arrived at a sanctuary in Louisiana. Many of these chimps are in their 50s and 60s.

U.S.-Russia ballerina freed in prisoner swap

Ksenia Karelina, jailed over a $50 donation to Ukraine, released after U.S.-Russia prisoner swap.

Healing soup recipes, Part 2: Definitely not your grandma’s chicken soup!

The second installment of our soup-a-thon. Vicky Hallett and Genevieve Villamora, correspondents. Marc Silver, digital editor. Radio interview ran last week. Digital publishing Thursday at 7 a.m.

‘The Amateur’ and 3 more buzzy movies in theaters this weekend

Rami Malek plays a CIA data analyst out of his depth in The Amateur, while Warfare depicts a real-life Iraqi mission, calibrated as a cinematic show-of-force.

More BirminghamWatch Coverage