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Downtown merchants have begun an economically and environmentally friendly process to dispose of waste, thanks to a recycling pilot program launched by the City of Frederick.

The city, in conjunction with the Downtown Frederick Partnership, launched the pilot program on Nov. 5, with more than 30 businesses adding recycling bins to regular trash pick-ups.

The program came as a result of a spring meeting and summer surveying of downtown merchants. The results led the Downtown Frederick Partnership — which promotes downtown Frederick businesses — to pitch the program to the city, said Kara Norman, executive director of the organization.

Commercial recycling had been discussed for a while, she said, but little action had been taken.

"We kept hearing a lot of reasons why it wouldn't work," Norman said. "It took a while to get the volunteer power going on this, but we finally had a group of people committed to this."

Norman said the biggest hurdle was that Frederick County, which handles the city's residential recycling, would have to renegotiate its contract to include businesses.

The pilot program is offered to about 30 downtown businesses that already receive trash services from the city. Participating merchants were provided recycling carts. The recycling is picked up during the city's regular trash collection cycle, and is transferred to sorting facilities by Frederick County — the same system as residential recycling.

There is no end date for the pilot program, Norman said, but an assessment is due to take place in six months. Only downtown businesses are participating in the program, but if it becomes permanent, it will spread to the rest of the city.

"The partnership is committed to making sure it turns from pilot to permanent," Norman said.

In the weeks since the program started, the city has found that "a good number" of bins have been contaminated, said Keith Brown, deputy director of operations for the city's public works department. He said the city is reaching out to merchants again to educate them on what items are acceptable.

Mayor W. Jeff Holtzinger (R) said that the city agreed to the program because he wanted to see if it could reduce tipping fees that the city pays at the landfill.

Holtzinger said it costs the city $25 per ton to drop recyclables at the landfill, versus $76 per ton for regular waste. But employee hours, collection costs and sorting increase the cost of recycling on the county's end, he said.

It costs the county about $175 per ton to handle recyclables, county officials told The Gazette in August, making it one of the most expensive means of disposal for the county.

The mayor also said that the contaminated bin problem shows that recycling isn't as clear-cut as it seems. "It seems like a very simple, straightforward concept, but carrying out the logistics of it is not as easy as it seems, and it's very expensive," Holtzinger said. "But it's the right thing to do. I'm sure if we keep on it, we'll get it right."

Dave Helmecki, commercial recycling program coordinator for Frederick County, said that contamination is usually a challenge for businesses because they dispose of more complicated materials than residences. But, he said, it would be in the city's best interest — through education and patience — to make sure the program is a success.

"It certainly behooves the city to make this a viable program, just from a dollars and cents point of view," he said, adding that costs savings even out when recycling is handled properly.

Downtown merchants praised the pilot program, saying that it's one of the best efforts the city has made to "green" downtown.

"We've been trying to do the right thing and recycle ourselves, but businesses are not able by themselves to recycle affordably, so collectively it makes sense," said Clyde Hicks, owner of Trail House, an outdoor apparel and equipment store located on South Market Street.

Hicks started participating in the program last week. "I hope it ... will become a citywide effort and make us a greener city," he said.

Other businesses said the program allows them a little less heartburn when they are recycling three times what they are sending to the landfill.

Dave Snyder, owner of downtown restaurant Café Nola, said that since Friday, he's been averaging a 3 to1 ratio of recyclables to trash.

"I think it's one of the most exciting things the city's done since I've been in business here," Snyder said. "It's crazy that it took so long, because it just seems like something we should be doing."

E-mail Erica L. Green at egreen@gazette.net.

The Downtown Frederick Partnership will form a committee to facilitate the commercial recycling pilot program. To join or to learn more, call partnership executive director Kara Norman at 301-698-8118.