Help keep sites clean.

Unfortunate news from the CitPat on Friday. C'mon, Jackson - we can do much better than this:

Trash dumped at recycling center upsets officials

Friday, January 25, 2008
By Kristin Longley

A white, 6-by-8-foot sign looms over the Summit Township recycling center: ``Free recycling depends on good sorting and preparation.''

Unfortunately, not everyone is getting the message.

Officials increasingly have noticed improper use of the recycling center, located at the township offices, 2121 Ferguson Road.

People are dropping off unaccepted materials or leaving their recyclables outside the labeled green bins, said township Trustee Gordon Heins.

Use of the center is free to anyone and open 24 hours a day.

``This could be closed down, and we don't want to do that,'' Heins said. ``It's a very popular site and only a few people are ruining it for the rest of us.''

In the past several weeks, wooden pallets, plastic foam, mechanical parts and unflattened cardboard have been found at the center. Once, officials found a plastic tub containing unidentified materials left near the bins, Heins said.

The overhead sign clearly lists the accepted materials, which include cans, glass, plastic bottles, newspaper, magazines and paper.

The recycling center opened in 2004. It was not expected to cost the township beyond building the concrete slab on which the bins sit. But the recent problems have cost both time and money.

Scattered papers and other trash prompted township leaders to add a three-sided wooden fence around the center for about $1,800, Heins said.

Still, local firefighters and township officials, including Heins, frequently have to tidy up the area, he said. Fire Chief Scot Harvey said firefighters often help clear away unaccepted materials.

``We don't mind picking up, but the biggest issue is it's getting worse,'' Harvey said. ``It's taking more and more time, and it looks bad.''

The city of Jackson's recycling center, 209 W. Louis Glick Highway, is experiencing similar problems, said SanDee Porter, public works assistant.

Pieces of furniture and other nonrecyclable items are packed between bins. Staff members visit the area two or three times per week to pick up garbage and broken glass, she said.

``A lot of people are abusing it,'' Porter said. ``Something needs to be done.''

Northwest Refuse in Blackman Township handles the recycling centers in Summit Township, Jackson and six other sites in Jackson County, said Bill Thomas, resource recovery coordinator. Sometimes, complaints arise from an overflow of recycling materials, he said.

The bins are emptied at least every Friday, and staff members check them when trucks are in the area. People can call Northwest Refuse if the bins are overflowing, Thomas said.

``For the most part it's a community effort,'' he said.

Heins said people who witness misuse of the Summit Township site are encouraged to contact the township office at 788-4113.

``We don't like garbage. We don't like trash,'' he said. ``This is a real privilege, and we want to be able to continue it.''