Editorials

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Shirley Dean awarded $5,650 to the winners of the Cash for Trash contest.  

The largest winner was Romy and Julian Falck of Dohr Street for a May 17 trash pick-up with no recyclables. With big smiles they received a check for $2,700. 

The second largest check went to the Donikian family of n 

orth Berkeley. On June 15 they found a note on their front door placed by Dave Williamson, the Ecology Center recycling operations manager, asking permission to check their trash for recyclables.  

Williamson found zero recyclables in the Donikians’ trash.  

Zovig Donikian said they recycle because recyclables are not trash and should be put to good use.  

Once a week, from February 14 to July 14, trash from a randomly selected Berkeley households is checked for recyclables.  

If none are found the household wins $250 or more.  

If only a few are found they win $50 and the remainder is rolled over to the next week. If numerous recyclables are found the entire prize rolls over to the next week.  

In the last contest the prize grew to $4,000 before a winner was found. 

The Cash for Trash Contest is a recycling outreach project of the Ecology Center and the City of Berkeley, funded by the Alameda County Source Reduction and Recycling Board.  

For a list of rules, recyclables accepted, and on-going contest status visit: www.ecologycenter.org or call the Ecology Center Recycling Hotline at 527-5555.