Since the city began residential curbside recycling in March 2008, Norman residents have had an easier way to go green.

Over the past year, 47 percent of Norman residents have participated in the curbside recycling program, said Ken Komiske, utilities director for the City of Norman. Residents pay $3 per month on their utility bills, but the service is not open to businesses or apartment residents.

“Other cities consider 25 percent to 30 percent participation a success, so Norman is doing really great,” Komiske said.

Each month, 300 tons of recyclable material is collected, 95 percent of which is resold to recycling companies, Komiske said. The other 5 percent of recycled material collected is unusable and thrown away, he said.

“However much is collected, that is how much we are keeping out of landfills,” Komiske said.

Norman is under a five-year contract with Waste Management, a leading provider for trash and waste removal, Komiske said.

The economic recession, however, is affecting the return rate on recycled materials. Waste Management is waiting to sell a stockpile of recycled materials until the economy improves and it can fetch a better price, Komiske said.

The Norman Chamber of Commerce’s new Greenovation Committee is expanding recycling in Norman to businesses, said Kyla McMoran, director of communication for the chamber and staff of the Greenovation committee.

McMoran, who also sits on the committee, said Greenovation has three subcommittees — transportation, recycling and conservation — each with their own agenda.

The main goal for the recycling subcommittee is gauging the business community’s interest in recycling.

The committee is currently surveying to see if businesses are recycling, how much they are recycling and if they would be interested in a business curbside recycling program in Norman, McMoran said.

The recycling subcommittee is also trying to inform businesses on how to go green and provide information on drop-off locations for their recycled materials, McMoran said.

“We are very excited to expand recycling in Norman and encourage businesses to use the cities drop-off center to recycle their materials,” Komiske said.