Emmet County Recycling Stimulates Economy
Resource Recycling Systems would like congratulate Emmet County on their new Material Recovery Facility (MRF). Our staff engineer, Kerry Sandford has worked with the County on their facility expansion and upgrades over the past year. The article below by Andrew Keller, 7 & 4 News Team (printed 6/8/10) highlights some of the achievements this facility has garnered.
Emmet County, MI — Emmet County has opened a new recycling center facility and it’s brought with it several new jobs and the potential for dozens more.
Simply taking the time to throw something in the blue recycling bin isn’t just saving the environment, it’s stimulating the economy.
In today’s day and age, it’s tough to ask people to take time out of their day…especially to separate plastics from metal. But a four million dollar project in Emmet County will make recycling easier. The state-of-the-art facility is streamlined, making it so you don’t have to separate your recyclables…all you have to do, is recycle.
“By going to this new dual system facility, we’re asking people to recycle more by sorting less, we expect to increase our volumes,” said Lindsey Walker of the Emmet County Recycling Outreach.
The latest numbers show 80% of Emmet County residents take part in some type of recycling. In the past, the county could only accept seven different types of recyclables. Not anymore. And those plastic grocery bags, throw those in the recycling bin.
“Into the leading programs we feel in the state, if not the nation, and with the new recycling building, we’re going to be able to recycle over 50 products,” said Emmet County Controller Lyn Johnson.
Recycling things like milk jugs or glass bottles, it not only helps save the environment, it also creates new jobs. For every 10,000 pounds of waste that goes into a landfill, that creates one job. For every 10,000 pounds of recyclables, that creates 10 jobs.”
“The products themselves that will be reused and recycled will have a tremendous impact on the workforce base,” said Johnson.
It’s not just jobs in the facility itself, it’s widespread, from the men and women that sort, to those that transport, and to private corporations.
“Their soup can is coming to our facility, it’s being sorted out from all of the other materials that you see here, it’s being baled, and sent to East Jordan Iron Works, where it’s being melted down and made into utility covers, fire hydrants, things of that nature that are going all over the world,” said Walker. “There’s an economy in recycling, and it’s a valuable part of our local economy.”
Since the facility opened, 10 new jobs have been created.
Tags: Emmet County