March 18 is Global Recycling Day: Allamakee County Waste & Recycling provides essential service locally

by Joe Moses

Around the world, this Friday, March 18, 2022 is being recognized as Global Recycling Day, an initiative advanced by the Global Recycling Foundation, an organization supporting the promotion of recycling and its vital role on a worldwide scale in preserving the future of the planet. The Global Recycling Foundation is one of many organizations working collectively to reduce waste and preserve natural resources on an international level.

Leading up to Global Recycling Day, The Standard reached out to Allamakee County Solid Waste Manager Dave Mooney for an update relating to the work performed at Allamakee County Waste & Recycling’s main site at 869 Highway 9, Waukon, near the Allamakee County Public Safety Center. Locally, Allamakee County Waste & Recycling plays an essential role in recycling and reducing waste within the county. Mooney provided totals reflecting the facility’s impact upon waste reduction through recycling which annually include 50 tons of metal, 55 tons of cardboard, 12 tons of plastic, 22 tons of electronics including televisions and computers, and 20 tons of paper including magazines.

Mooney advised that Allamakee County Waste & Recycling primarily serves the needs of rural residents by accepting garbage and recyclable materials from those within the Waste and Recycling District set by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to include rural Allamakee County with the exclusion of the City of Postville, which is part of the Winneshiek County District. Mooney added that garbage from rural residents is accepted at no charge and that there is a fee for county residents who bring larger items including furniture or small amounts of construction debris.

With communities and some townships having curbside garbage collection and recycling pick-up at residences and businesses, Mooney noted there are some recycling services still available at a small fee for any Allamakee County resident, excluding City of Postville residents due to districting. Those services relate to batteries, appliances, computers, monitors and televisions.

Mooney further discussed the waste and recycling services specific to rural residents with the availability of a truck located in five rural locations each week from 3-7 p.m. Mooney advised that these five locations are strategically located for rural residents to have waste and recycling services available within a short 5-10 mile radius of their home each week. These availabilities and locations include Mondays at the New Albin County Shed, Tuesdays at K&R Feeds near Dorchester at 590 Riverside Drive, Wednesdays one mile west of Harpers Ferry on Highway 364, Thursdays at the Lansing Power Plant at 2320 Power Plant Road and Fridays at the Waterville County Shed three miles west of Waterville on Waterville Road.

Mooney noted that #1 and #2 plastics are accepted by Allamakee County Waste & Recycling with those types of plastics being most common, which he estimates are 95-98 percent of all plastics produced for consumers. The #1 and #2 plastics typically include soda and water bottles, milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles, shampoo and soap bottles, among other common containers.

Mooney discussed Allamakee County Waste & Recycling’s partnership with Winneshiek County Recycling relating to hazardous waste. He advised that hazardous waste including chemicals and poisons need to be brought to Winneshiek County Recycling for disposal at their site with those items subject to a small fee.

For questions or clarification on what items may be recycled, visit the Allamakee County Waste & Recycling portion of Allamakee County’s official website at www.allamakee.us/waste-management. Information and periodic updates are available through Facebook by searching for Allamakee County Waste & Recycling.

Iowa’s Beverage Containers Control Law, more commonly referred to as the “Bottle Bill,” is legislation intended to reduce litter by requiring a five-cent deposit on beverage cans. Within Allamakee County, the Postville Redemption Center located at 112 North Lawler Street in Postville is open Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekly for can redemption.

At the Monday, March 14 Board of Supervisors meeting, Shannon Larkin of the Waukon Redemption Center provided an update relating to the status of this business now owned by Larkin and her husband, Ben Larkin. At that meeting, Larkin discussed ongoing work with Droppett, a company based in Des Moines, and planning taking place to be part of Droppett’s pilot program relating to can redemption. Larkin advised that this pilot program involves the process of labeling bags of cans to identify the customer and then transporting them to the Droppett facility in Des Moines for counting with the customer’s account to be credited for the redemption. Larkin advised that this potential collaboration may allow for a soft reopening of the Waukon Redemption Center to the public in March or April.

According to Larkin’s comments at the Supervisors meeting and the Waukon Redemption Center’s social media, can donations are currently being accepted in the metal kennel area next to Waukon Redemption Center at 707 West Main Street, Waukon with portions of the proceeds to be shared with community members and organizations in need.