The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY
Madison County celebrates 30 years of recycling
CANASTOTA, N.Y. » Thirty years ago on July 17, 1990, Madison County implemented its recycling program to reduce waste and divert material from landfills, making it one of the first counties in the state to do so.
According to officials, the county implemented its recycling program two years before the statewide recycling mandate went into effect, which required municipalities to adopt local laws for the separation of recyclables from trash.
At the time, the county only accepted: newspapers, corrugated cardboard, glass containers, HDPE and PET plastic containers, aluminum containers, and tincoated steel containers. Residents were asked to sort the recyclables into two categories: paper and containers.
From there, the program has only grown.
Since it’s inception in the early 90s, the recycling program has continued to expand, accepting new recyclables as technology and markets developed. Paper recycling now includes
junk mail, magazines, office paper, and boxboard. County officials say the recycling program continues to adjust to reflect current market standards and recyclability of materials.
Transforming plastic shampoo containers, milk jugs, magazines, and other recyclable materials into something new is a complex process. The county’s Materials Recycling Facility (MRF), located at the Department of Solid Waste’s landfill site, collects the paper and container recyclables, utilizes a mix of technology and hand sorting to process the materials, and then bales them for the next stop in the recycling journey.
Each year, the MRF diverts over 4,000 tons of paper, glass, and metal recyclables from going into the landfill, according to a county news release. The Alternative Recycling Center (ARC) of Madison Cortland has overseen operations at the recycling center since its inception in 1990 under the guidance of the Department of Solid Waste.
In addition to the paper and containers recycling program, a collection of other materials have also been diverted from the landfill through other county programs. These items include household hazardous waste, electronic waste, yard waste, scrap metal, textiles, tires, sharps, medications, and more.
“The County collaborates with several local organizations to handle these materials and is constantly looking for new ways to rethink waste in Madison County,” officials stated.
In honor of this 30-year milestone, the Department of Solid Waste hosted a ceremony on July 24 accompanied by several members of the Madison County team, as well as NY Senator Rachel May, who gifted the Department a proclamation recognizing the 30-year achievement.
“Here’s to another 30 years of fantastic work,” May said, congratulating the county.
Director of the Madison County Department of Solid Waste Amy Miller complimented the ongoing efforts of residents, businesses, haulers, outreach, the recycling staff, office staff, and several other partnerships that have made the program effective over the last three decades.
“A successful recycling program is truly a community effort,” she remarked.
Recycling Coordinator Kristin Welch agreed, adding, “We could not do this without a lot of key players, and our residents have always been so supportive of our recycling program. We are excited to see what the next 30 years hold.”
Miller recognized individuals for their role in supporting the county’s recycling program over the years, including: Yvonne Nirelli, Vice Chairwoman of the Solid Waste Committee, Mark Scimone, County Administrator, Samantha Field, Public Information Officer, Darin Pearo, ARC Director of Facilities, Mike Bowe and Joel Lockwood, County Facilities Managers, Deputy Director Greg Gelewski, and several dedicated ARC staff that have been with the facility nearly the whole 30-year stretch.
Jim Goldstein, longstanding Chairman of the Solid Waste Committee, and John Becker, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, could not attend the ceremony on Friday, but deserved recognition as well, Miller stated.
Looking ahead in the industry, Miller says she’d like to see the creation of other domestic recycling markets as well as legislation for extended producer responsibility, which would hold producers responsible for the disposal stage of a product’s life cycle.
“By creating better markets through a demand for recycled content and incorporating the idea of a product’s end-of-life disposal treatment in the beginning of the manufacturing process, the recycling industry will ideally see an increase in recyclable materials. Here in Madison County, we will continue to work with our recycling partnerships to meet industry standards and continue to research new opportunities to reduce the amount of waste going into the landfill,” she said.
Madison County continues to operate under the two-bin recycling system, separating paper and cardboard into one bin and plastic, metal, and glass containers into another.
To see the current list of accepted recyclables and to learn more about other special recycling programs, visit the Department of Solid Waste online or follow their Facebook page at Madison County Solid Waste & Recycling.