During a regular meeting of the Columbia County Quorum Court this month, Justice of the Peace Oliver Thomas said the local recycling center has been facing difficulties due to trash mixed in with regular recycling.
A representative from Waste Corporation of America (WCA) explained that the mixture of trash in with the recycling had gotten bad enough that Abilities Unlimited Recycle Center had started to refuse to accept loads from WCA.
"We have had all sorts of things in the recycling which has caused the recycling to be picked through by hand. Some people were putting dirty diapers into the recycling. Some folks were putting in old spray cans, cans of varnish, paint, thinner or other chemicals... Those are dangerous when they go through the shredder. It could start a fire. Glass cannot be recycled here and it was getting mixed in... If it's not caught it breaks and everything has to be cleaned up," the WCA rep said. "Things were different when cans were picked up by hand. We could look through things when we picked them up. Now that everything is done with the One-Armed Bandit (the lift arm that empties the cans), we can't do that."
He also noted that WCA does not accept any Styrofoam products or paper products with laminate, like magazines.
WCA accepts clean cardboard that has not been used for carrying food; plastics including soda bottles, but the wrapper must be removed and the bottle rinsed; clean paper such as notebook paper or newsprint; aluminum cans that have been washed out; and tin/food cans that have been washed out.
The WCA recycling center is currently fully staffed after months of being short-handed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All routes are being regularly attended to.