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Waste & Recycling February 16, 2018 05:30:49 AM

Commissioner Calls For Expansion of Colbert Recycling Program

Waste Advantage
ScrapMonster Author
Unlike Florence’s curbside recycling program, the Shoals Solid Waste Authority’s program relies on collection containers that are placed in various parts of the county for use by residents.

Commissioner Calls For Expansion of Colbert Recycling Program

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): A Colbert County commissioner and member of the Shoals Solid Waste Authority wants to start discussion about expanding the county’s recycling program.

The county used a grant from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to create a countywide recycling program in 2009. Director April Rogers said they started picking up items in 2010.

Unlike Florence’s curbside recycling program, the Shoals Solid Waste Authority’s program relies on collection containers that are placed in various parts of the county for use by residents.

Rogers said the program also includes parts of Franklin County, Phil Campbell, Red Bay and East Franklin County.

"I have some people I want to talk to about it," Commissioner Tommy Barnes said. "I’m tired of seeing scrap, bottles, cardboard that could be recycled laying everywhere."

The new director of the Colbert County Landfill, Mike Shewbart, said he would love to see the county’s recycling program expanded.

"Anything we can keep out of the landfill and we can recycle extends the life of the landfill," Shewbart said. 

Shewbart said he will attend a landfill and recycling conference in Denver, Colorado, next month to learn more about ways to expand and bring more awareness to recycling programs.

He said he believes if there is still a use for an item, it should be recycled rather than tossed into a landfill.

Shewbart said discussions about expanding the county’s recycling program are preliminary.

Rogers said she wants to see the program expanded, but exactly how has yet to be determined.

Items collected in the bins are sorted at the center, located near the Colbert County Landfill. Rogers said she’s writing another grant for additional containers.

"All of our bins we get through grant money," Rogers said.

She said schools will be the priority if the grant is approved. She said there are a few schools in the two counties that lack the green recycling containers.

Rogers said the program has been expanding ever since its inception. When it was started, Rogers was asking people to participate in the program. Now they’re calling her asking to be part of it.

Early on, some containers were being emptied every one or two weeks. Now containers are being picked up twice and three times a week, she said. Rogers said the recycling center employs eight people, mostly full time.

She said residents call and ask about curbside recycling. Often they’re people new to the area who moved from cities that had curbside recycling programs.

"I would love to do something like that," Rogers said. "I have brought it up in the board meetings and we’ve had discussions about it. There’s a lot involved and it would take a lot of people to do it."

Courtesy: https://wasteadvantagemag.com

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