Atmore Mayor Jim Staff said that citizens should find it a lot easier to use the city’s recycling bins, after some recent changes were made.

At a town hall meeting Monday, Staff said citizens do not need to separate their recyclables anymore. Previously, there had been individual bins labeled for “paper,” “plastic,” and so on. However, Staff said that the recycling is actually sorted after it is hauled away, and so citizens can now use any bin that they wish. The city has removed the label signs, and all bins are now open for recycling.

Staff and city council member Susan Smith explained that most items could be recycled, except for Styrofoam and electronics. In addition, regular household garbage is not acceptable for the recycling bins.

Staff asked for citizens to break down cardboard boxes before putting them in the recycling bin. He said that city workers have to occasionally visit the bins to flatten the cardboard boxes to make more room in the bin, and it would be much easier if the citizens would do it first.

Atmore citizen Mildred Poindexter suggested the city should put up a sign reminding citizens to flatten their cardboard boxes, and Staff said that would be a good idea.

Staff also noted that anyone who has trouble reaching the tall recycling bins is welcome to ask for help from the nearby Atmore Fire Department.

“All you have to do is go by there and they’ll be glad to help,” he said. “We appreciate everyone using the recycling bins. They’ve been very popular and it’s a good thing for our city.”

Staff praised the work of city employees, especially City Administrative Assistant Celia Lambert, for making the recycling program a success. The city recently entered into an agreement with Titan Waste of Milton, Fla., to haul away the recyclables at least once a month.

For more information about the city’s recycling program, call Atmore City Hall at (251) 368-2253.