Columbia Utilities prepares for new recycling facility proposal
COLUMBIA — The city of Columbia Utilities Department is readying its proposal for a new recycling facility.
Recycling in Columbia had to change after the facility was destroyed by an EF1 tornado in the spring.
“Prior to the tornado we had been able to recycle number 1 to 7 plastics, cardboard metals and aluminum,” said Lindsey Smith, volunteer programs assistant for the Columbia Department of Housing and Neighborhood Services.
“Now we are recycling containers, numbers 1 to 2 plastics, aluminum cans and metal food containers.”
Columbia first started sending recyclables to the landfill a few days after the tornado. The city announced in July that it would adjust its recycling guidelines and start taking some recyclables to Jefferson City.
City of Columbia Utilities Communication and Outreach Supervisor Jason West said, in October the city sent 17 truckloads of recyclables to Jefferson City, averaging four trucks a week.
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“We hope to reestablish everything as much as possible with the facility getting hit by the tornado,” West said. “Obviously, we’re not able to do as many things as we were before April. And we’re slowly getting things back to that level but still have a ways to go.”
He said the city wants to build something very similar to what sat on the land before.
“We’re hoping that here soon we’ll be able to go before the City Council,” West said.
Saturday is America Recycles Day, but Columbia will take the holiday as an opportunity to teach residents how to properly recycle while the city doesn’t have a permanent center.
Smith said plastic is recyclable, but it has to be the right kind. Things like black-plastic shopping bags and trash bags are no longer recyclable in Columbia.