Recycling is just one of many personal actions we can do to Think Globally and Act Locally as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
Those who use the igloo recycling drop-off stations, Kent County’s curbside collection program or Infinity Recycling can rest assured the items are actually recycled. There have been concerns raised recently by citizens about some new private trash hauling firms, the services offered and what happens to the material. Concerned residents will want to check with the local company about its policies.
Recyclable items collected by Midshore counties are never put into the landfill or used as “landfill cover.” Glass collected by the Midshore Counties and Infinity Recycling is transported to a Pennsylvania company, Greenstar, that works with glass bottle manufacturers. Glass collected by private firms and in other counties may be sent to “single stream” recycling facilities where glass may then be used as “landfill cover”; again check with the company about its policy.
“We actually recycle the acceptable recyclables which residents provide to us in the igloos and county-run curbside programs. They are never put into the landfill or used as landfill cover,” said James Wood, manager of the Midshore Regional Recycling Program, which includes Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot, and Dorchester counties.
By recycling paper, Midshore residents help support 30 local jobs in Kent County at Creafill Fibers Corp. near Worton. By annually recycling about 2,400 tons of mixed paper the residents from the Midshore Region also avoid about $132,000 in disposal fees at the regional landfill in Easton. The paper goes through value-added steps to produce cellulose based products used in road building, automotive, construction and other industries. Creafill prefers the clean local paper over paper from “single stream” programs that are often too contaminated to effectively use. This 15-year relationship between Creafill, Kent County, and the Midshore Regional Recycling Program started as an economic development project and has since developed into a mutually beneficial relationship that represents a significant financial commitment by Creafill to provide 30 local jobs and to secure the local clean paper based on an industry standard price index.
As part of the local Earth Day events, on April 24th, Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Kent County and the Midshore Regional Recycling Program will hold a Household Hazardous Waste Collection (for safe disposal) and an Electronics Recycling (to recycle computers etc.) event near Centreville at Queen Anne’s County’s Department of Public Works from 8 to 2. Details are available at www.midshorerecycling.org and advertisements in local weekly papers.