Haight Recycling Center Advocates to Stage Protest Using Recyled Chains

By Erin Sherbert Mon., Feb. 28 2011 at 1:39 PM

Preserving a recycling center...does it get more 'earthy' than that?

Leading by example, advocates of the HANC Recycling Center in the Haight have pledged to scrounge up used chains so they can literally link themselves to the shuddered center come Friday when it's slated to permanently close.

More than 1,000 people are saying they will chain themselves together in an act of civil disobedience that San Francisco hasn't enjoyed in quite some time.

"Scrap prices for steel are through the roof so this is a good time to recycle," says Ed Dunn, executive director of HANC Recycling.

In a last ditch effort to save the recycling center in Golden Gate Park, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, who represents that district, pushed a resolution through today's committee hearing, urging Mayor Ed Lee to reverse a decision to evict the neighborhood's recycling center. The resolution will go to the full board tomorrow for a vote but as everyone knows that legislative act is nothing more than a toothless statement.

Still, advocates of the recycling center are hoping the resolution will buy them some time to reopen discussions about the center, which will be replaced with a community gardens. Critics, namely the Chronicle's C.W. Nevius, have made the closure of the recycling center all that much easier by claiming it has served as an ATM for the homeless who congregate in the area.

If the city's pols indeed move ahead with the plan to close its doors this week, Dunn says San Francisco can expect to see a mass of chain-clad humans circling the center.

"It's a little tongue and cheek," Dunn said. "But we are accepting old chains and padlocks to use for recycling."

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Tags:

Ed Dunn, Ed Lee, executive director of HANC Recycling, Golden Gate Park, HANC, Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi

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Pacifichris01

Um, that phrase would be "the SHUTTERED center." Or do you mean the center shuddered to death?

h. brown

Great hearing this morning,

50-60 people spoke and every single one of them was in favor of keeping the recycle center. Park and Rec refused to meet with the neighbors and comments from Hanc and users ranged from fact that the facility is used primarily by neighbors, to what a crummy job the compactors ($3,000) each (and, they don't take cardboard) ... what crummy job they do. It's available in few hours on archive at sfgtv.org under 2-28-11, City Operations and Neighborhood Services Item #2. Mirkarimi got out of a sick bed to guide the presentation and committee voted 2-1 to send to Full board with approval with Avalos and Mar in favor and Elsbernd opposed with no comment.

Go Giants!

Aggrivated

Many years ago, the HANC Recycling Center served an admirable function in our neighborhood, but with the implementation of curbside recycling, the center has turned to a more industrial model that does not belong in the park or the surrounding residential neighborhood. The center processes truckloads of recycling from around the city, creating noise and traffic in what is primarily a residential neighborhood. Its presence in our neighborhood encourages pilfering of curbside recycling "blue" bins (STEALING), which in turn provides cash to street thugs and illegal park campers. The ready cash provided to this transient population by the Center also supports neighborhood drug and alcohol abuse and negatively impacts the quality of life for families who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the center. The center has outlived its usefulness and has become an unwelcome neighborhood nuisance.