Bradley starts plastics recycling program

By Paul Leach

Correspondent

CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- The Bradley County recycling centers at Peerless Road and Urbane Road have recently installed receptacles for accepting No. 1 and No. 2 plastics.

Those are the containers most often used for bottled soda, water, milk, and liquid laundry detergents.

The centers both have bins for No. 1 and No. 2 plastics. The bins are labeled with a picture showing examples of acceptable items.

Dedre Ludwig, who brought some recyclables to the Urbane Road center last week, welcomed the new bins.

"I think it's awesome," Ms. Ludwig said. "I've got a lot of things back home that I'll be bringing here soon."

The bins are installed and ready to use but the county hasn't publicized them.

"We are having a kind of 'soft opening' regarding the county's plastic recycling," said Dan Howell, assistant to Bradley County Mayor D. Gary Davis. He said the mayor's office plans to make an official announcement later this month.

He said the bins cost around $6,000 each and were funded in the county budget.

KNOW YOUR PLASTICS* No. 1 PET (polyethylene terephthalate): Water and soda bottles* No. 2 HDPE (high-density polyethylene) Liquid detergent bottles, milk jugs

Only the recycling centers at Peerless Road and Urbane Road will accept No. 1 and No. 2 plastics for recycling.

The Bradley County Landfill will not accept plastic items for recycling, according to Cheryl Dunson, vice president of marketing for Santek Environmental Inc., which operates the landfill.

"Santek will haul the plastics to the Orange Grove Recycling Center in Chattanooga," Ms. Dunson said.

"We are very excited about our relationship with Bradley County," said Tera Roberts, director of adult services at Orange Grove Center.

The Orange Grove Recycling Center handles No 1 and No. 2 plastics from several nearby municipalities.

Mr. Howell said the mayor's office expects "a wash" in regards to any potential earnings from the plastic recycling.

"The biggest benefit is that we don't fill our landfill with these plastics," he said.

Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. E-mail him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.

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