Recycling is now mandatory in Birmingham Township. The Board
of Supervisors authorized the mandate in a 3-0 vote during a hearing on the
matter before the Oct. board meeting.

Recycling had been voluntary. Supervisors’ Chairman John
Conklin said he didn’t like the idea of forcing residents to recycle, but by
doing so the township could continue getting grants from the state Department
of Environmental Protection.

“The good residents of Birmingham have been recycling for
quite a while,” Conklin said. “They’ve been recycling more and more on their
own, voluntarily. However, the money we receive [from the state] for this fine
effort will be cut off unless we have an ordinance like this… It is with some
reluctance that we are voting on another ordinance. However, there’s somewhere
between $15,000 and $20,000 to the township if we do it.”

He said that amount of money could go toward part of the
cost for a new police car.

Solicitor Kristin Camp said only three items have to be
recycled to get the grants, and that the township could always add to the list
if it sees fit. However, the ordinance calls for recycling of more than the
minimum. Among the items included are glass, newspapers, various types of
plastics, several types of metal cans, high-grade office paper and corrugated
materials.

Specified items must be kept separate.

Violations of the new ordinance carry financial penalties
between $50 and $600, plus court costs.

Other business
Resident Sandra Guggenberger told supervisors during the regular meeting
that there will be a tree planting in the Knolls of Birmingham between 9 a.m.
and noon on Oct. 23.

It’s a joint venture in riparian planting with the
Birmingham Stream Team and the Brandywine Conservancy.

“Our property sits at the headwaters of Radley Run, and
doing anything that improves the quality of the headwaters is going to affect
everything downhill. So, we were good candidate for the conservancy to work
with,” she said.

Guggenberger said the conservancy helped the group get the
Growing Greener Plus Grant, and to select the trees and species and decide
where they should go.

She said 300 trees would be planted in the development.
About 30 people are expected to take part, but Guggenberger, a member of the
Stream Team, is hoping for more.

There will also be two planting dates next year to add 700
more trees, she said.