Traverse City Record-Eagle

Antrim County

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    Bill Gadwau
March 19, 2009

Antrim officials work on recycling program

Countywide plan could serve all 15 townships

BY SHERI MCWHIRTER

CENTRAL LAKE -- Pepper Bromelmeier rinses out plastic containers, washes aluminum cans and breaks down cardboard boxes, all part of her avid effort to recycle.

"I don't like to throw things away that can be re-used," she said.

Her daily routine involves composting at her house and recycling everything she can, and she's done so for years. Bromelmeier, of Central Lake, wants others in Antrim County to be able to do the same.

"Some who want to recycle don't even have that option," she said.

Antrim County officials are working to pull together a recycling program, an ongoing effort for years. The Antrim County Solid Waste and Recycling Council in coming months plans to make a recommendation to county leaders about how a program could be started and funded.

"We're one of the only counties in the region that doesn't have a comprehensive recycling program," said Joe Meyers, the county's associate planner. "One of our goals was to see if there's any support for a recycling program among the townships."

In 2007, just four of the county's 15 townships agreed to a countywide recycling plan, an effort that wasn't adopted. Now they want to try again, Meyers said.

"Everyone wants it, but some people don't want to pay for it and some do want to pay for it," he said.

Preliminary estimates put the cost of a countywide recycling program somewhere between $200,000 to $300,000 per year, Meyers said, although two area waste haulers are preparing more detailed estimates.

Bill Gadwau sits on the council and is a trustee in Central Lake Township, where Bromelmeier and others use a long-standing recycling program.

"It's very popular. We take plastics, glass, aluminum and tin, and we do have a steel container for larger items," Gadwau said, including items such as lawn mowers, grills, car batteries, televisions and furniture.

Central Lake, Elk Rapids and Milton townships offer recycling programs and Banks and Torch Lake townships are in partnership with Central Lake Township, officials said. It's important to provide a countywide program to offer recycling to other areas, Gadwau said.

"Our dear Earth can only handle so much," he said. "Landfills are getting filled and if we keep taking things to landfills, where do we go next?"

It comes down to paying for such a program, said Bob Peterson, council chairman and Elk Rapids village manager.

"We know the townships are interested, it's just a matter of how to fund it," he said. "I would like to see it somehow fee-based."

There are three funding options, Meyers said, including an annual per household tax charge up to $25 with townships' approval, a county public works tax per property lot,\ or a voter-approved millage.

"Recycling is very popular, but funding recycling is not very popular," he said, especially through a new millage.

Gadwau agreed.

"With times the way they are right now, people don't like the word millage," he said. "So, will all the townships be willing to have this set up? I hope so. I really hope a county recycling program takes off."

A recommendation for a funding mechanism is expected to be made to the Antrim County Board of Commissioners this spring or early summer, Peterson said.

Preliminary plans call for drop-off sites for recyclable materials -- plastics, glass, paper, cardboard, tin and aluminum -- in eight yet-undetermined spots in Alba, Alden, Bellaire, Central Lake, Elk Rapids, Ellsworth, Kewadin and Mancelona, Meyers said.

Those interested in Antrim County recycling efforts may attend the council's next meeting on April 27 at 3 p.m. in the commissioners' meeting room in the Antrim County building in Bellaire.

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