While volunteers will no longer go to businesses across the county to retrieve cardboard boxes, those interested in recycling can still take their recyclables to Iola, organizers said.
Dan Davis, president of Iola Recycling, told the Register Monday the board of directors have agreed to keep their collection site open as they try to find additional help to resume the cardboard collections.
He cited the large response to a public meeting Thursday that drew a crowd of about 50.
After the meeting, Davis said he communicated the strong turnout to the other Iola Recycling board members, and they agreed to keep the depot open.
Residents can take cardboard, various types of plastics, glass, tin, aluminum, newspaper, magazines and office paper to the site, behind Pump N Pete’s on the east edge of town.
Iola Recycling also will continue its “First Saturday” collection days, in which volunteers will be at the depot to help residents unload their recyclables.
For more than 20 years, Iola Rotary Club spearheaded paper drives until the program expanded in 2015 to include cardboard, and eventually glass, plastic and metal.
However, the popularity of the effort grew to the point that it became too much for Rotarians to handle.
Rotary discontinued its efforts at the end of 2021. Iola Recycling was formed almost immediately thereafter.
And while more than 160 businesses have signed up to hand over their cardboard waste, collecting from the bins across the county has quickly become too cumbersome for the 10 or so volunteers who do the work, leading to Thursday’s announcement the cardboard pickup service is being suspended.
Davis welcomes additional volunteers, “or if anybody is interested in learning how to work the baler,” he said.
Iolan Donna Houser encouraged Iola City Council members Monday evening to start up a recycling program within the city.
Advertisement
Advertisement
