Cardboard recycling could return as soon as next week for Columbia residents
Euphenie Andre
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
After months of cardboard recyclables being tossed in with the landfill, cardboard recycling for City of Columbia customers could return as soon as next week.
A city utilities spokesman said equipment repairs are still underway at the Material Recovery Facility, which was destroyed by an EF-1 tornado on April 20.
Currently, the baler at the facility is processing commercial cardboard, but city officials say they are just days away from expanding operations to include residential cardboard. Utilities spokesman Jason West said on Thursday afternoon that residents could see their cardboard collected and diverted from the landfill as soon as next week.
“Recycling collections for Columbia residents have not stopped. Residents are asked to place their recyclable plastics and metals in the complementary blue bags to be collected from their curb every other week. Paper materials, cardboard boxes, and other similar items may be collected in a separate container on the same day as the blue bags,” West wrote in an email.
It’s been seven months since the tornado tore through the MRF. In June, City Council members projected that rebuilding a permanent facility would cost between $26.47 million-$26.71 million and take 30 months to build a permanent structure.
City leaders reviewed three options for the new facility:
Rebuild on the current MRF site, reusing any structure that survived the storm. Officials note this could save the city over $500,000 in demolition costs, although most of the building cannot be salvaged.
Construct the facility at the Landfill Operations Center.
Build on an open gravel lot just west of the city’s Administration building.
Utilities spokesman Matthew Nestor said on Thursday evening the city plans to rebuild on the original MRF site, which would allow room for future expansion.
The city in July announced it would partner with Federal Recycling and Waste Solutions in Jefferson City.
West told ABC 17 that while the baler is currently handling commercial cardboard, a few equipment parts still need adjustments before residential pickup can fully resume.
“The baler is operating now, still needs some tweaks to make it fully functional, as some of the parts have been sitting idle for a bit.” West said in an email.