Though Allen County has yet to launch its planned recycling venture, it may already have changed in scope.
Allen County Public Works Director Mitch Garner told the Register Tuesday the county may have an opportunity to collect more than just cardboard.
Rather than a single large storage receptacle for cardboard, Garner said the county is considering a “roll-off” type of storage unit, capable of holding multiple recyclables, such as paper, aluminum and some plastics.
“There’s still a lot to work out,” Garner said, stressing that nothing has been finalized.
THE NEWS factored into Monday’s Iola City Council discussion as the Council fielded a request to continue supporting a local non-profit — also called Allen County Recycling — that operates its own recycling storage facility at the east edge of town.
For the uninitiated, Allen County Recycling has lobbied both the county and city to take over the venture, noting the workload has become too much for the all-volunteer group to handle, after taking over the program for the Iola Rotary Club about seven years ago.
In fact, it was Allen County Recycling’s request for the county and city to take over the program that started the discussions.
Fast forward to last month, when the county and city announced the framework for a six-month cardboard collection venture.
Council members agreed to purchase a storage receptacle to be placed at the old EMS building in the 400 block of North State Street, and then have city employees assist whenever it came time to load the cardboard for shipping.
But that changed Monday, when City Administrator Matt Rehder said the county asked the city earlier in the day to hold off on buying a storage facility as Garner investigates the new option.
“We were quite surprised to hear that,” Rehder said. “What’s asked of us may change.”
THE NEWS also led to the obvious follow-up question: what becomes of the non-profit Allen County Recycling endeavor, if the county’s program expands?
“I guess I’m confused,” Councilwoman Kim Peterson said. “Isn’t this duplicating services?”
Dan Davis, a part of the non-profit organization, noted he, too, was unaware of the new developments.
His message to those who had been bringing recyclables to the old depot site was that the county was about to begin recycling cardboard, “and if people showed up with more than cardboard, they know where we’re at.”
He also noted the old depot has its own baler — the reason he was at Monday’s meeting to begin with.
