Lafayette leaders are increasing efforts to recycle more.
Last year, the city saved more than $180,000 by recycling and not hauling trash to the landfill. Mayor Tony Roswarski says while that’s good, more can be done.
“We’re going to try a pilot program here, hopefully towards the end of the year if the money all works out,” he says, “where we start taking back people’s blue bins and we give them a large toter for their recycling and then a small toter for their garbage.”
Roswarski says it will be a big investment to buy toters for all homeowners in the city. He’s encouraging residents to keep recycling as much as they can with the current blue bins.
The mayor also wants to spruce up downtown this summer. Specifically, Roswarski says he wants businesses to plant flowers.
“Our planters are done – the big city planters,” he says. “We’re going to be taking videos and pictures of people who are doing it and posting that on our social media, try to encourage other businesses to do that and really beautify the downtown.”
Roswarski thinks it’s important to make things look nicer, citing the attention the city is receiving due to recent economic development announcements, such as Subaru of Indiana Automotive’s expansion plans.
Lafayette has been improving the look of downtown over the past several years with its streetscape program. That has involved infrastructure repairs, landscaping, street benches, public art, and better signage.