Bay News 9 Story

Recycler is picking up curbside customers

By NICOLE HUTCHESON, St. Petersburg Times Staff Writer
Published December 23, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Greg Foster saw a void in the city of St. Petersburg and decided to fill it.

Last spring, after graduating with a finance degree from the University of South Florida, Foster started a curbside recycling business.

St. Pete Recycling Solutions now has 100 customers, he said. [Today it is over 1000]

"Trash collection in our area hasn't been addressed properly," said Foster, 22. (FULL STORY)

Curb With Enthusiasm

Mayor Rick Baker refuses to tackle the issue of curbside recycling. One resident finds an innovative solution: capitalism.  Published 12.12.07 By Alex Pickett
Shanna Gillette ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENUER: Filling a void left by the city, Greg Foster created a curbside recycling business.

Curbside recycling has always been a contentious issue in St. Petersburg.

For more than a decade, neighborhood activists and city leaders have clashed over its merits. City councils have overwhelmingly squashed proposals; opposition candidates have run campaigns based on the issue. While most Tampa Bay municipalities have embraced curbside recycling, St. Pete city leaders have consistently argued it is inefficient and too costly. (FULL STORY)