Allen County residents will soon have a new opportunity to recycle locally as the county prepares to launch its twice-monthly recycling drop-off site Saturday.
Public Works Director Mitch Garner told Allen County commissioners the collection site is behind Allen County Dispatch at 412 N. State St.
The county plans to operate the site from 8 to 10 a.m. on the second and third Saturdays each month throughout most of the year. In November and December, collections will be limited to the second Saturday of each month because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Garner said the county will accept corrugated cardboard, plastic No. 2 containers and white office paper. Cardboard items such as pizza boxes, cereal boxes and chipboard will not be accepted. Plastic milk jugs and colored No. 2 plastic containers, including laundry detergent bottles, must be rinsed before being dropped off. Shredded office paper will also be accepted if it is bagged.
County employees will be on site during collection hours.
“The first couple of times I’ll probably be there, too,” Garner said, noting one employee will normally staff the site after the initial weeks.
THE RECYCLING container has four compartments and is already in place behind dispatch.
In response to a question from Commissioner Jerry Daniels, Garner said the City of Iola has provided a carport to help shield workers from the weather. Because the county acquired a multi-compartment container, he said an additional storage container from the city is no longer needed. The new container also allows materials to be loaded once and transported directly without being handled a second time.
In response to a question from Commission Chair David Lee , Garner said the county could add collection dates if demand proves higher than expected, particularly in months when only one Saturday is scheduled.
“We’re flexible on this,” Garner replied. “We can make adjustments if we need to.”
Garner said the county also plans to evaluate whether the two-hour collection window is sufficient.
Daniels suggested extending the hours if residents continue arriving near closing time.
ADDITIONALLY, commissioners reviewed plans for a new notification procedure to alert residents when the Allen County Landfill closes because of high winds.
Garner said the county will distribute information in area newspapers, radio stations and at the landfill itself. Residents will also be able to sign up to receive notifications by text message, phone call or email. “They can call us and we can get them on the list,” Garner said.
The notifications will be issued when the National Weather Service places the area under a qualifying wind advisory. Commissioners agreed the public information should clearly state that closure decisions are based on National Weather Service advisories rather than county discretion.
“I just think that would be good for the public to understand where this is coming from,” said Commissioner John Brocker. “It’s just not us making a decision.”
