Recycling Center faces cuts

The Truman Recycling Center may no longer provide as many recycling services due to budget cuts and the program's lack of revenue.

By April 1, the University will decide if the Recycling Center will continue to recycle plastic and glass. While the University still will recycle paper, cardboard and aluminum, firm decisions already have been made to process these items at other recycling centers in Kirksville.  

At the All-University meeting Feb. 11, University President Troy Paino said programs not directly affecting education would be the first to be hit by the $3.6 million in budget cuts.  Budget Director Dave Rector said Truman spent more than $90,000 on the recycling program last year and only received $5,574 from the sale of recycled items.  He said this deficit of $90,000 and the Recycling Coordinator's retirement led them to look at the efficiency of the recycling program.

The Recycling Center currently accepts paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum cans, glass and printer cartridges, according to its website. Multiple student workers use a University vehicle to collect recyclables from around campus and then sort and bale the items.  Then the trailer full of recyclables is sold to a facility more than 50 miles away in Brookfield, Mo.

Howard Worcester, Recycling and Surplus coordinator, retired in January. Karl Schneider, director of Physical Plant, said they will not fill the position but combine it with an existing grounds crew position. They also plan to hire fewer student workers, Schneider said.

Beginning May 1, the Sheltered workshop will begin collecting cardboard and paper around campus and take it to their facility, which is state funded, Schneider said. No money will be exchanged as the workshop funds the cost and receives all revenue.  

Schneider said that while the quantity of aluminum cans collected on campus is not large, they make the most revenue per pound.  The Recycling Center will begin selling the aluminum to Perfect Metals USA, a company in Kirksville specializing in recycling metals that do not contain a large amount of iron.  However, Schneider said they still are looking for ways to recycle other materials.

"We haven't found anybody who wants plastic," Schneider said.  "We have not made a final decision on what we're going to do about plastic recycling."  

While the City of Kirksville uses glass from the Recycling Center for sidewalk repair approximately once a year, more product is being produced than is being used.

"We can't afford to spend money recycling glass," Schneider said. "The revenue is not enough."

The Recycling Center will stay open, but only for the collection, storage and sorting of aluminum, Schneider said. The public will no longer be able to drop off recyclables. Dorm recycling centers will remain open as well but will not be accepting glass or plastic as they cannot find anyone who wants to buy these items, Schneider said.

Schneider said he could see improvement in the recycling program if the potential revenue increases or if there is a large impact on solid waste. Schneider said the amount of material the University recycles currently does not impact its trash collection cost.  

The University's 5-year solid waste contract with Veolia is due to expire in July 2011. The contract is based on the number of pick-up days, not weight. Therefore, if plastic and glass are thrown away, it will not cause the trash price to rise.  Schneider said using Veolia for recycling and solid waste would be inconsistent with their goal to reduce the cost of recycling as Veolia charges a separate fee to take recyclables.

The City of Kirksville also has a 5-year contract with Veolia, which they renewed in April 2010, but for both solid waste and recycling. Brad Selby, the Codes and Planning director, said the separate contracts is part of the reason Truman and Kirksville recycling efforts are difficult to combine.

"Our hands are really kind of tied because it's not really our benefit," Selby said. "It's Veolia's benefit … We've never figured out a way where our effort and their effort is going to get anything done."

Selby said that if a business opened in Kirksville that bought all recyclables, as even Veolia does not accept all items, recycling efforts at both Truman and in Kirksville could benefit. Unfortunately, Selby said, for this to happen all sides have to make a profit and that is never going to happen.  

Rector said ultimately they have to look at the cost, which includes full-time staff, student employees, operation and vehicles.

"The whole plan is to try to close the gap on how much it costs," Rector said. "We want to recycle, but we want to do it in a more cost efficient manner."

 (Additional reporting by Meghann Henry.)