Recycling Program News for Portland and Danby Township
For the past three months Portland and Danby Townships have been working together to offer their residents a monthly recycling opportunity. The monthly event takes place on the fourth Saturday of each month and continues through the following day (Sunday). Granger Waste Management provides dumpsters which are located on Industrial Drive at Municipal Supply in a large open area owned by Brian Wohlscheid.
Until last September, the two Townships partnered with the City of Portland to provide recycling; the three entities split the cost for the dumpsters that were located at Bogue Flats. When the City of Portland transitioned to curbside recycling for their residents, Township officials looked for an alternative. After learning that Granger would not do curbside recycling outside the city limits, they settled on the monthly recycling option.
“We knew from surveying our residents that they wanted us to continue providing a local site,” said Portland Township Supervisor Chris Jensen. “Granger offered us this monthly option and Brian Wohlscheid offered the site. We’ve learned a lot over the past three months and we’re still learning!”
Currently, and for the foreseeable future, volunteers work at the recycling site during the hours it is open, 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. each of the two days. Volunteers assist residents with their drop-offs and are also there to answer questions and to help educate them about the proper way to recycle.
“To make as much room in the bins as possible, we need people to flatten all of their cardboard,” said Chris Jensen. “We also need them to be more conscious of things that can’t be recycled and shouldn’t be thrown into the bins.”
A list of acceptable items is listed at the site, and flyers are also available there to take home. The most important rules:
No plastic bags should be thrown into the dumpsters. All plastic bags need to have their contents dumped in, then the bags should be taken back home and discarded.
No Styrofoam.
No waxed refrigerator boxes (orange juice containers) and no beer/pop cartons.
Any plastic item that doesn’t have a recycle symbol on the bottom cannot be recycled and should be thrown into the trash.
A common misconception is that the two Townships are “making money” on the recycling. In actuality, the Townships must pay for this service; the dumpsters cost approximately $300 each for delivery, pickup, and cost-per-ton to recycle. “To keep our costs down, we’re suggesting that residents drop their newspapers off at any of the Paper Gators that are located around town,” said Chris Jensen. “The schools and churches make money on the newspapers dropped into the Paper Gators. If they are thrown into our dumpsters, we have to pay to have them hauled away.”
The monthly recycling site is not open to the public; it is only available to the residents of Portland and Danby Townships. The two Township Boards are paying for this service for their own residents only. Also, residents should not drop off items outside the dumpsters or after the scheduled hours.
Anyone who is interested in volunteering should contact Chris Jensen at (989) 289 4071 or Danby Township Supervisor Dan Platte at (517) 994-8086.
(Recycling dates for Portland and Danby Township residents for 2018 are now added to The Portland Beacon’s calendar page.)
