Date: Mon 17-Feb-1997

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

recycling-junk-mail-plastic

Full Text:

RECYCLING CENTER STOPS ACCEPTING JUNK MAIL, SOME PLASTIC

The Recycling Center at the Newtown Transfer Station has stopped accepting

both junk mail and plastics No. 3-6 until further notice.

No. 3-6 plastics are no longer are being accepted because there is no

cost-effective way of disposing of them, according to Public Works Director

Fred Hurley.

"Every time we turned around, the [recycling] firm we were using in Stamford

was billing us $2,500, claiming there was other material in with the plastics

that was damaging their equipment - things like nuts and bolts," Mr Hurley

said. "I found that hard to believe."

Mr Hurley said he tried to find an alternative source, but the next closest

possibility was a company on Long Island and transportation costs were too

expensive.

"I can't spend $1,000 to ship 800 pounds of plastic to Long Island," he said.

The recycling center also is no longer accepting junk mail because of the

unavailability of the boxes needed for collection and shipping.

"Marcal [Paper Company] said it would start up again after the holidays but

here it is February and nothing is happening," Mr Hurley said. "We haven't

been able to get boxes from anyone else, even when we offer to pay for them.

Either no manufacturers in the state have them or they are using them

themselves."

Marcal used to pick up about 48 of the 4x4x4 corrugated boxes, containing

20,000 to 25,000 pounds of junk mail, from Newtown's recycling center every

two weeks. Sometimes Marcal left a supply of used boxes, but about two-thirds

of them generally were unusable, Mr Hurley said.

An alternative proposal, to use 40-yard dumpsters and haul them to Danbury's

recycling center, also did not work out. Mr Hurley said the vendor who serves

Danbury was not interested.

"Apparently there's a glut on the market, now," Mr Hurley said.

Magazines and other slick publications still are being collected, however.

These are picked up in curbside recycling the first week of each month,

provided they are stacked and tied with string (not placed in grocery bags).

They also may be brought to the recycling center by residents any time during

the month.

No 1 and 2 plastics, glass food containers, metal food containers, newspapers

and corrugated cardboard are picked up curbside each week.