The county’s first foray into recycling might look a little different than they expected.
Allen County commissioners agreed Tuesday to allow a recycle and trash service provider from Erie set up a bin at the landfill to collect some types of No. 2 plastic items such as milk jugs.
“It’s not cardboard, but it’s a start,” Mitch Garner, Public Works director, said. The county had identified cardboard as its top recycling need.
Kenny Schettler, whose company collects trash for the City of Humboldt, offered to set up a container to collect only No. 2 plastic, a sturdier type of plastic that includes such things as juice and milk containers, bottles for cosmetics and household cleaners, plastic chairs and some types of toys. No. 2 plastics can be recycled up to 10 times.
Schettler would be responsible for setting up the container and transporting recycled items, at no cost to the county. Landfill staff will monitor the bins to deter people from throwing other types of trash into the containers.
Commissioners still want to find a way to collect and recycle cardboard. Garner said he continues to look for options. In previous discussions, commissioners said they’d like to collect cardboard at the landfill and take it to a recycling center in Coffey County.
THE COUNTY is exploring recycling options after an all-volunteer recycling group ceased operations late September.
Allen County Recycling Board President Dan Davis said he supports efforts made by the county or cities. The group unsuccessfully lobbied for help from the county and the City of Iola for months before suspending its efforts.
When the group was active, cardboard was the group’s largest recyclable, followed by No. 1 plastics, which include such things as water or soda bottles, food containers and other types of clear, one-time use items.
After that, the group collected a large amount of No. 2 plastics.
“But those are still just big drops in the overall bucket,” he said, reiterating that cardboard is the top recycling need.
Davis said he or other group members would be happy to share their experience and knowledge with other entities.
“I applaud anything the city and county are willing to do. I hope everything they try works. I would also say please talk to the people who have been involved in this and pick our brains.”
As for the landfill location, Davis said he thinks it might encourage rural county residents to increase their recycling efforts. He was concerned, though, that residents of the county’s largest cities — Iola and Humboldt — might find it cumbersome to take recyclables to the landfill. He would prefer a drop-off location in the Iola city limits.
GARNER has submitted an operating plan to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and is waiting for approval before any kind of recycling station can be set up. He did not know when that might happen.
