Recycling program sees good early results

Crews are busy at the West Tennessee Regional Recycling Hub, sorting through all the recyclable material that come through their doors.

The plant recently installed around seven hundred thousand dollars of new equipment to help them sort and bale what they take in. “Paper, aluminum and steel come off our sort line and then all we have to worry about is our cardboard and plastic ones and twos, which is water bottles, tide bottles and milk jugs.”

The center installed the new equipment in part because of a new program they have been running.

Henderson was one of three cities in West Tennessee that were awarded a grant in February to provide their residents free 96 gallon blue recycling bins.

Since the blue carts were rolled out earlier this year, the city of Henderson has already seen a big jump in recycling.

“In the city of Henderson, it has increased by thirty percent and it’ lowered the amount of recycling going to our landfill" according to Recycling coordinator, Amber Greene.

The plant processed about seven tons of materials just last month due to the bump but while the thirty percent jump is a good jump, city officials are hoping to keep expanding the use of the blue carts.

Mayor Bobby king says “We’re having people add on every day. Right now we’re at about 25 percent of city residents participating, so we’re kind of hoping to increase that more.”

Greene wants to encourage everyone who aren’t using the bins yet to ask for them. They can make a big difference.

“Our landfills are filling up every day and they’re eventually going to close and recycling is the alternative to that.”

If you’re interested in signing up with the blue bin program by calling 731-989-9855