Recycling Expansion

Work progresses on expanded county facility

By DANIELLE KAPRAL
Special to Harbor Light Newspaper

Construction is underway in response to notable growth in recyclable volumes at the Emmet County Drop-off Center in Little Traverse Township. An expansion of 22,750 sq. ft was approved, as part of a long-term plan, by the Department of Public Works in 2003.

Substantial progress has been made in the last few weeks according to Elisa Seltzer director of Department of Public Works. Walls are up, steel is being erected, conveyor pits are in and floors are being poured.

“The expansion is going extremely well. We’re running significantly under budget so far, due to competitive bidding and change orders that are saving construction costs and providing long-term energy savings,” Seltzer said. When the addition is complete, the transfer station will be able to handle a wider variety of materials for recycling and residents will have less sorting to do at the dropsite bins. With the additional square feet, the project also includes two more processing lines and two balers. The expansion will be built to accommodate what has been a 37-percent overall increase in recyclable volumes over the last two years.

The projected budget for this expansion is $4.3 million. Funds for this project are taken from fees from the recycling service and the marketing of recyclables, not county general fund or taxes. “The department funds all of its own activities, including: staff, operational costs, and capital improvement projects,” Seltzer said.

Colwell Wangeman Construction, Inc. is currently working on the project. Seltzer said that majority of their subcontractors are also local service providers.

With more space and an increase in recyclables quantity, Seltzers said she was hopeful about expanding jobs.

The transfer station currently employees 10 county employees, six to eight from Straits Area Services (which provides supported employment opportunities for adults with challenges such as developmental disabilities) and three contract employees (temps).

According to the Seltzer, recycling creates jobs. Burying 10,000 tons of garbage in a landfill creates one job, while recycling 10,000 tons of materials creates ten jobs, she offered.

“Recycling also is said to benefit the local and regional economy by supplying raw materials to manufacturers. Overall, the more we all recycle, the more jobs are created, so it’s good for the economy to recycle instead of throwing things in the garbage,” she said.

(Danielle Kapral is a freelance writer and regular contributor to the Harbor Light Newspaper)

This is part of the November 11, 2009 online edition of Harbor Light Newspaper.

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