CENTERBURG – With the loss of a second recycling site and the addition of another, the number of recycling bins available to county residents has shrunk by two.
Centerburg’s collection site, with 10 bins, is the second site to close this year. However, a new site in Mount Vernon added 14 bins, Knox County Recycling and Litter Prevention Director Randy Canterbury reported Thursday.
The Danville recycling site, with six bins, closed earlier this year. With the closings, and one opening, the number of bins in the county is down from 71 to 69.
The Centerburg site, which will close in October, is being lost due to Hometown Market expanding. Centerburg and Hilliar Township have not been able to locate alternate sites, Canterbury said.
The Mount Vernon site has helped alleviate overflow issues with bins at the Monroe Township drop-off location, Canterbury said.
The Danville site closed in part due to the dumping of trash in the recycling bins. Also, the bins, which face traffic coming into the village from US 62, were judged unsightly by the village council, according to Canterbury.
Dumping of non-recyclables continues to be a problem, especially at the Apple Valley recycling site. Canterbury said he hopes to correct the problem with educational efforts, but criminal charges for trash dumping may still be brought “after other alternatives have been exhausted,” Canterbury said.
An audit in 2017 found that 27 percent of materials left at county recycling locations were non-recyclables.
Some of the dumping is accidental, what Canterbury refers to as “wishful recycling.” Only certain recyclables can be accepted, but people often try to recycle materials that are not on the approved list. A good example of this is plastic deli and lunch containers; while plastics are accepted, only certain types can be recycled by the hauler that works with Knox County.
Canterbury said he also hopes to address “wishful recycling” through educational efforts, including a mailer indicating what is acceptable and what is not.
The Mount Vernon bins are located at Memorial Park and the nearby Park and Share Ride site.
