Good Sized Crowd Gathers to Hear About Recycling

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Published on June 11 2019 7:53 pm
Last Updated on June 11 2019 7:53 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

A good cross-section of the Effingham community gathered Tuesday evening for a discussion about recycling.

The gathering was hosted by Effingham Public Library. The panel included Landfill 33 owner Brian Hayes, representatives of the solid waste recycling program operated by Centenary United Methodist Church in Effingham and the program operated in the Village of Teutopolis, and members of Effingham Recycles and the Effingham County Board's solid waste committee.

Those on hand indicated they are recycling, or would like to if options were available to them. Information was shared that aluminum is generating a pretty good price when recycled, that glass can be hauled to Lake Land College, and that Sarah Ruholl Sehy of Effingham Recycles, also a member of the solid waste committee, plans to present a proposal for a tipping fee to the committee's meeting next week.

The Effingham County Board enacted the mechanism for the tipping fee years ago, but the amount of the fee was never enacted. Current Board Chairman Jim Niemann said a fee needs to be set, or the tipping fee legislation should be abolished.

Ruholl Sehy said her proposal would divide up the revenue generated from whatever fee is enacted as follows: 25% to the Effingham County Health Department to fund services, 20% to community services such as yard waste dropoff or a glass recycling drive, 20% for educational program grants, and 35% for recycling subsidies to groups such as Centenary, the Teutopolis program and the like.

If the solid waste committee approved the proposal, it would then go to the Effingham County Board for consideration.

It was stressed that the tipping fee is not directly imposed on county residents; it is paid by the waste haulers when they dispose of waste at the landfill. It would be up to the haulers whether they want to pass the fee along to their customers.

There were also practical tips on recyclables, such as different types of cardboard are dealt with differently. 

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