Last year the recycling center processed more than 7,000 tons of products.
By Greg Angel
Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 6:31 p.m.
Read more: Local
At first glance when you walk into the Emmet County Recycling Center in Harbor Springs you may see everything as trash, but some beg to differ.
"It's not trash, it's commodities," said Kate Melby, education coordinator for the Emmet County Department of Public Works which operate the facility. "They're commodities like steel coming from a mine or oil coming from an oil field, they're commodities and there are markets for them."
Last year the recycling center processed more than 7,000 tons of products. But, there's a problem now; maybe a good problem.
"We're basically at the capacity of our existing facility," Melby said.
So underway is a $4 million expansion project that will double their space. It's not paid for with taxes or millages, but rather by the same plastic, paper and other items people recycle and the center in turn sells to manufacturers.
When construction wraps up the center will be able to process more than 28,000 tons of recyclables. It also means a potential for growing revenue and more jobs at the site.
Melby says while landfills employ 1 person for every 10,000 tons of trash, the same amount, when recycled, employs 10 people.
"It's everything from the person whose driving the trucks and picking up the goods from the curb to sort it to my job educating about it and the construction workers building," Melby said.
Already servicing four counties, Melby says their operation is still growing which they see as a win-win for everyone.
Melby adds the new space will not only allow them to take in more items, but also a wider variety of recyclable goods.
Click HERE to learn more about the Emmet County Recycling Program.
