St. Petersburg, charming and picturesque as the city is, has suffered one consistant complaint from its residents: the lack of a city curbside recycling program. I've even made this complaint from myself, finding it odd that North Pinellas would have curbside recycling, while a more progressive and environmentally aware area of the same county would not.
Under the watch of Mayor Rick Baker, St. Petersburg became the first "green city" in Florida, and once the example was set, many other Sunshine State cities followed (often encouraged by Mayor Baker himself). The Mayor even drives a hybrid car, so the lack of curbside recycling is not through a lack of consideration for the environment, inconsistent as that seems at the surface.
I knew there had to be a logical explanation for it, though. Surely Mayor Baker must have a reason for not implementing such a program, especially with so many voter's voices in favor of it, so when I had a chance to talk to the man, it was one of the first questions I asked him.
This article appears in May 6-12, 2009.