Construction is under way at the Logan County Solid Waste District, 1100 S. Detroit St., to build a new, larger structure to receive and process recycled materials.
After 10 years, the recycling center is at capacity and work has begun to build a 130- by 60-feet “canopy” that will be twice as large as the existing structure to allow trucks to empty in a covered area.
It is expected to be completed within the next two weeks.
The new structure increases, “both employee and equipment safety,” according to a press release from the solid waste district. “This will also ensure plenty of space for all the planned growth for another decade.”
The “canopy” is a steel structure made of, “an industrial fabric cover that will not require replacement for 20 years,” LCSWD officials reported. Total budget for the project is “just over” $300,000, excluding fire suppression systems, which scheduled to be installed in 2020.
“It seems that, every year, we outgrow some area,” said Shawn Huffman, systems supervisor. “This couldn’t come soon enough.”
The canopy structure will be built with concrete walls and piers that are sturdy enough to endure Category 1 hurricane winds, and extreme snow loading, the solid waste district reported.
Local contractor Meier Concrete is pouring foundations. The general contractor is Iowa-based ClearSpan, and crews are currently on-site to install it.
Recycling has grown four-fold since the current recycling center opened in 2009, LCSWD officials report.
“Constant upgrades have been made to handle the growth of both rural and village participation. Two years ago, it became obvious the building would not be big enough to handle this steady growth,” according to information circulated by the solid waste district.
“Safety was becoming an issue, particularly after holidays when everything overflows.”
Existing recycling facilities date to 2009, when Logan County Solid Waste District purchased the former lumberyard on south Detroit St.
A total of 15 full-time recycling centers in surrounding municipalities have greatly contributed to the growth and popularity of recycling in Logan County.
The first full-time recycling and pay-as-you-throw trash collection site was installed in the village of Lakeview, and became an immediate success.
Plans for drop-off and curbside recycling initiatives were first approved 30 years ago. For the first two decades, all the recycling was managed somewhere else, presenting obstacles to sustainable growth, due in part because of high transportation costs.
Construction of the new structure for accepting and processing recycled materials ensure, “plenty of space for all the planned growth for another decade,” solid waste district officials report.