Garbagios
Cooperative discards low profile, recycles image
By HARRY ESTEVE
01 tlw Emerald
After four years of low-profile recycling, the
Garbagios recycling cooperative is ready to shift
gears.
According to "outreach coordinator” Jerry Gal
vin, Garbagios is embarking on a major participation
campaign to enlist new subscribers in their unique
garbage collection and waste recycling service.
Until recently, Garbagios was operating at
capacity with 950 homes receiving their service. But
now, after moving their processing facilities from the
cramped quarters of the Grower’s Market building at
5th Ave. and Willamette St. to a larger warehouse in
Glenwood, Galvin says they are looking to double their
subscribers.
Galvin says that although the cooperative has
been somewhat reluctant to expand in the past,
growth is necessary "if we are going to continue to
spread recycling in this city.”
Galvin's plans for increasing participation include
a media advertising campaign, something that Gar
bagios has rarely relied on in the past, and a number of
promotional "splash events.”
Garbagios will also be offering "encour
agements” to current subscribers in the form of free
'In some circles it’s an elitist, al
most chic thing to be a member.
monthly membership fees and T-shirts if they con
vince neighbors to begin recycling with Garbagios.
Some of the events currently on the drawing
board are a musical event and a 10,000-meter "run to
the dump.”
Galvin says that because Garbagios is incorpor
lr?
Graphic by Sioux Anderson
ated as a cooperative, a part of any additional reven
ues generated from new members may eventually be
redistributed among the members themselves.
Garbagios originated in 1977 as a project of
BRING recycling, a non-profit organization that oper
ates a system of drop-off centers around Eugene and
a large processing facility outside Springfield.
According to Galvin, BRING began an exper
imental home recycling service for 50 homes in the
University area in which, instead of sorting recyclables
and taking them to a drop-off center, participants left
the goods in front of their houses to be picked up by
BRING.
The experiment ran into trouble when private
garbage haulers complained that BRING, which was
partially funded by city and county money, was using
tax money to subsidize competition with the garbage
collection industry.
Instead of abandoning the experiment altogether,
several members of BRING opted to split from the
non-profit group and form Garbagios, which would be
privately funded and therefore legitimately competi
tive with private industry.
Since then, Garbagios has attracted subscribers
from all parts of the city, though most members are
‘Garbagios tends to motivate
people to deal with their waste. ’
concentrated in the area directly east of the University.
Galvin says the kind of household that uses
Garbagios varies considerably.
"In some circles it’s an elitist, almost chic thing to
be a member of Garbagios.”
As members of the Garbagios cooperative,
subscribers are expected to sort newspapers, glass,
metal and food scraps out of their garbage before
setting it out for collection. Aside from a $1 per month
membership fee, the fees charged by Garbagios are
the ones set by the city for all garbage collecting
Galvin says the recycling aspect of Garbagios
often helps to cut down on trash bills because sub
scribers stand less chance of producing extra cans of
garbage. Garbagios hauls away the sorted recycla
bles for members free of charge, no matter how much
is left out for collection.
Galvin stresses that the number-one goal behind
the participation drive is to increase recycling in
Eugene.
“Garbagios tends to motivate people to deal with
their waste,” Galvin contends. "Most people don’t
even think about it, they just throw it away.”
!il
WE'RE1
COUNTING
OH _
YOU!
Yes, you!
Find out about student government,
what you can do,
and how you can be involved.
ASUO Spring Elections
Filing for student positions on
the Student University Affairs Board
(SUAB), EMU Board,
Incidental Fee Committee (IFC),
and the ASUO presidency is open now.
Filing closes TODAY, 3:00 pm.
For more information come
to Suite 4, EMU, or call 686-3724.