County urges to keep items in bins

While the Union County Board of Supervisors continues to research how the county can provide recycling services at a manageable cost, it asks all residents who do recycle to use the bins as intended.

Earlier this year, supervisors approved a one-year contract with Waste Management to provide recycling bins in Afton and Creston. The contract includes how Waste Management can apply additional fees to pick up items left at the recycling bins sites, but not left in the bins. Supervisors are aware how it’s common for people to leave recycling items at the bins either because the bins are full or they are too large to place in the bin. That happened Friday as county officials were notified of items outside the bins. Long cardboard tubes were eventually placed in the cardboard bin.

Supervisors are willing to provide recycling services at the county’s cost, but fear rising rates and the potential of fees, will force the county to significantly change how it works at a lower cost.

Waste Management proposed a two-year contract with an expected cost increase the second year. The county agreed to keep the same rates for another year. The county will pay $1,408 a month plus $350 each time one of the bins is emptied. It has been common for the bins to be emptied twice a month. That is for all items; paper, plastic, aluminum cans, glass and cardboard for each town.

The one-year agreement includes the county can make changes to the services. There are multiple cardboard bins in Creston. Supervisors wondered how cardboard recycling would change if there were fewer bins, to lower the cost to empty. Supervisors also wondered about the interest of recycling if the bins were emptied just once a month.