Caledonia Argus

Recycling program continues to make gains in county

Posted: 2/26/02

by Jane Palen
Managing editor

County residents appear to be developing good recycling habits.

Nick Nichols, recycling coordinator for Houston County, presented the county board with a report on recycling activity for 2001 at its February 19 meeting .

The total tonnage of goods recycled and marketed by the Houston County Recycling Center increased from 1,319 tons in 2000 to 2,421 in 2001. Recycling was up most categories. Exceptions included aluminum, of which 134.25 tons were recycled in 2001 compared to 142.49 in 2000. Office paper was another category which saw a decrease in recycling, from 13.47 tons in 2000 to just 3.31 tons in 2001. Plastics were also down slightly from 39 tons to 35.5 tons for PET plastic, and from 45 to 29.5 tons for HDPE.

The greatest gain in recycling came in the textile category. The Twice is Nice used clothing store collected and sold 21.265 tons of clothing compared to just 16.9 tons in 2000. The storeís revenue for the year was $32,593.

The Twice is Nice store exceeded its goal by 30 percent in 2001, Nichols noted.

Revenue from the sale of recycled materials pays for about two-thirds of the cost of the recycling program, Nichols told the board. In 2001, revenue of $146,439 was generated from 2,240 tons of recycled goods. In 2000, 1,319 tons were recycled, but revenues were $193,975 due to stronger markets for recycled materials such as aluminum.

Nichols said the goal for recycled aluminum was at nearly 100 percent of goal for 2001. He added that some additional aluminum seems to be coming in from the charity ìcagesî located throughout the county.

ìWe continue to pursue business,î Nichols said.

Nichols told the board that 900 tons of recycled glass was used in the new Mound Prairie bridge project.

A mercury thermometer exchange program was coordinated between the Public Health Department and the recycling center, Nichols told commissioners. Mercury thermometers are no longer legal in the state.

Commissioner Kevin Kelleher asked what the state has been doing to develop markets for recycling, and Nichols replied that the state has done nothing in that regard. Kelleher said that the state had promised assistance to counties, but so far has not come through.

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