Published: July 15, 2008 02:41 pm         

Laurel receives recycling grant

$121,000 to buy equipment for new center off TLC Lane

Recycling is entering a new age in Laurel County, one that will eventually see 75 percent less waste headed for the landfill.

The city and county were awarded a $121,000 grant in June from the Department of Environmental Protect-ion’s Division of Waste Management. The funds will enable the city to buy equipment necessary to start up a new center on TLC Lane off East Fourth Street.

That center is expected to be up and running before Aug. 1. It will accept all types of plastic; loose paper, newspaper, and junk mail such as fliers; metal, aluminum and tin cans; white goods like refrigerators, washers, dryers and ovens; glass; cardboard; and electronic waste like old TVs, computers and stereos.

Public Works Director Steve Edge said he hopes to eventually accept batteries and motor oil, as well.

“We just want to be a full service recycling,” he said.

Edge said the city and county were not awarded as much grant money as they’d asked for — a total of $449,000.

“We turned in a real high grant,” he said. “We were hoping to get a lot more. But I’m actually glad with what we did get. It’s enough to get a good start.”

The money will be used to buy one big recycling bin for each school in Laurel County, a platform scale to weigh bales, 100 stackable concrete blocks to create the bins in the processing center, and a Bobcat and fork lift.

As well, the grant paid for 10 eight-yard bins that will be stationed at the city and county’s largest producers of cardboard waste.

The new center will also receive equipment from the old recycling center on McWhorter Street, such as its bailers, tipper carts and doors.

Edge said the new center will symbolize a fresh look at recycling.

“We’re really trying to simplify this thing and make it as user friendly as we can,” he said.

Examples of that include low bin access so recyclers do not have to reach up to dump their recyclables and a well-lighted, spacious parking lot.

The center will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and the bins will constantly be emptied of their constantly be emptied of their contents — even on the weekends.

“There should never be a time you have to leave it in the parking lot,” Edge explained.

Recyclers should expect to take all of their recycling to the center itself — not look for bins that were formerly placed at the London-Laurel County Farmers Market and Vendors Mall. Edge said it is more cost effective to have just one drop-off point.

The motivation behind the project is to reduce the cost accrued by having to take waste to the landfill.

Edge said he has already budgeted $75,000 less for tipping fees this year, which represents 3,600 tons of garbage.

Edge is hoping to keep costs down further by having work release crews sorting the recyclables. He added if city crews finish work early, they will be expected to pitch in at the center.

The recycling program is expected to expand within the next two years to include curbside recycling, meaning recyclables will be picked up door to door.

Mayor Troy Rudder is wholly supportive of the undertaking.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I really am excited about it. It will be a wonderful program for London and Laurel County. We hope to make an impact.”