Unbeknownst to many Iowa State students, Fresh Aire Recycling Service employees will no longer be seen pedaling down Lincoln Way carrying blue recycling bins.

Fresh Aire Delivery Service, 216 N. Hazel Ave., has discontinued its curbside recycling pickup service.

“Over the past five months our business has grown substantially, and Joan and I simply have not had the time to get everything done,” said Jim Gregory, co-owner of Fresh Aire, in a letter to its customers.

For the past five years, owners Jim Gregory and Joan Stein have been running the recycling business in addition to two other business.

The residential recycling service was monopolizing the time of the company and provided less than 10 percent of the company’s total income, Gregory said.

The pair decided to concentrate their attention on the company’s eco-friendly delivery service and bicycle trailer manufacturing company.

But because of the popularity of Fresh Aire Delivery Service’s curbside recycling, a former employee and two loyal customers vowed not to let the service end. On Feb. 16, 1998, Spencer Villwock, Ben Nauman and John Murphy officially opened The Second Generation Recycling Service, with permission from Fresh Aire.

“I liked working for the service,” said Nauman, former employee of Fresh Aire and co-owner of Second Generation. “You never felt bad about going to work.”

Nauman said the new recycling company is serving three quarters of Fresh Aire’s previous customers and is looking to expand to more residential areas in Ames.

Following the same lines as Fresh Aire, Second Generation offers curbside pickup to its customers with a first bin pickup cost of $4 and each additional bin is $2.

Making the service truly environmental is the fact that employees ride bikes with bike trailers to pick up the recycling bins.

“Even in the winter we bike to pickup the bins. I am thankful that Ames does not have a lot of hills.” Nauman said with a laugh.

Regretfully, the state of Iowa is lagging behind in establishing state supported recycling services.

Resolution 109 was passed through the State Senate this past week, establishing a committee to “study and make recommendations concerning the management of solid waste and recycling, whereas it is the intent of the General Assembly to encourage and facilitate solid waste reduction and recycling efforts in the state.”

The resolution presented by Clyde Bradly, of District 37 and was adopted Tuesday. Bradly is also vice chairman of the Environment Protection Committee for the State of Iowa.

Ames presently has a functioning resource recovery plant where the majority of Ames’ trash is incinerated. There is also the privately owned Ames Area Recycling Center located at 1822 E. Lincoln Way. Ames residents can take recyclable items to the center or call Ben at 233-0599 to have Second Generation Recycling Service pick them up.