Boone County recycling drop-off program suspended after Columbia tornado
The Boone County Commission confirmed Wednesday that the Boone County recycling drop-off program has been suspended indefinitely following the EF1 tornado that destroyed Columbia’s recycling sorting facility on Sunday.
The collection of drop-off containers around the county is underway, according to a news release from the county commission.
The county-wide recycling drop-off program allowed recycling to be collected in Ashland, Hallsville, Sturgeon, Hartsburg, Rocheport and Harrisburg, then taken to the Columbia Material Recovery Facility for processing.
The county commission said there is currently no alternative recycling processor.
The city of Columbia said it could take two to three years to build a new facility.
The county said it is evaluating options to restart the recycling service while a new facility is built, but there are no guarantees it will find an adequate option.
“The commission will patiently await details of the city’s plans moving forward as they deal with the destruction caused by Sunday’s severe weather,” the county commission wrote in the news release.
In the meantime, the city of Columbia is asking residents to include their recycling with their trash in their roll cart to be taken to the landfill.
The Easter Sunday tornado tracked 6.37 miles through northern Columbia and was 100 yards at its widest point.
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Residents pay for roll carts based on size and say the current size could be inadequate if the roll carts have to fit both recycling and trash.
A Columbia homeowners association representative told KOMU 8 the No. 1 concern they’ve heard from residents is paying for recycling services that are no longer being rendered.
Matt Nestor, a city spokesperson, told KOMU 8 there are not enough carts to accommodate for residents running out of space.
He’s asking Columbia residents to bear with the city while it looks for short-term solutions.
“Patience and cooperation will go a long way,” Nestor said.
Boone County Presiding Commissioner Kip Kendrick told KOMU 8 that households will need to make personal decisions when it comes to reducing and reusing.
“Recycling is going to be suspended for the indefinite future,” Kendrick said, “so that’s going to be a personal conversation that people have within their own family unit and personal decisions that they’ll have to make.”
Nearby recycling facilities are at capacity
Boonslick Industries, a Boonville recycling facility, told KOMU 8 that it has received a lot of calls, but it doesn’t have the space or resources to take in outside recyclables.
The EF1 tornado tracked a 6-mile path through north Columbia on Easter Sunday, knocking out power for some neighborhoods and demolishing the Material Recovery Facility.