The country’s waste disposal problem is growing worse every year, and as America’s dumps continue to fill, the nation is faced with the inevitable question of what to do with its waste. Many believe the solution is recycling.

In an attempt to meet this challenge, the pilot recycling program initiated by DeKalb County Disposal is enjoying great success, said owner Cal Tigchelaar.

Designed to increase the county’s ability to dispose of waste, the program involves citizens in recycling certain types of glass, paper, plastics and metals such as aluminum and tin.

The program “was better received than we had expected. I think that the press has done a good job of making people aware of the environmental problems of the landfill shortages. There are more recycling programs around now than before, especially in the last five years,” Tigchelaar said.

Since the existing DeKalb County Landfill near Cortland is nearly filled to capacity, landfill owner Rodney Engstrom feels the recycling program comes at an opportune time.

“I’m definitely in favor of the recycling program,” he said. “I think that we should have been doing it a long time ago.”

Engstrom has received siting approval from the county to expand the existing landfill and he said he hopes the Environmental Protection Agency will approve the proposal.

Anne Aitchison, president of the Illinois Association of Recycling Centers, said people have realized recycling is something everyone can do to help solve the waste problem.

“I think that people do recognize the solid waste problem and they see recycling as something they can do personally. People like to be responsible and take charge of their own destinies,” she said.

The problem of solid waste disposal is not a new one. Landfills loaded to capacity coupled with booming economic growth hinder the capabilities of waste management companies to deal with trash. Aside from opening more landfills or curtailing the waste production, recycling is the only logical answer, said Kevin Greene, research director for Citizens for a Better Environment.

“I think that every community should make source reduction and recycling a top priority. It makes sense to recycle as much waste as possible,” Greene said.

Regarding which materials are readily recyclable, Aitchison said, “Almost every paper grade is recyclable—everything from office and computer papers to newspaper and cardboard. All metals are recyclable as well as all glass.”

In preparation for the new laws which will regulate what a landfill can accept during 1990, DeKalb County Recycling and the City of DeKalb, with cooperation from the DeKalb School District 428, have proposed a “pilot” yard waste reclamation program. The service will be provided at no additional cost to current DeKalb County Disposal customers.

Introduced in connection with future legislation, the program will prohibit the combining of leaves, grass clippings and other landscape waste in landfills. Beginning Monday, dumpsters for unbagged grass clippings, leaves and yard waste (excluding tree limbs or shrubs) will be located at all DeKalb public schools and at DeKalb County Recycling facilities at 129 Simonds Ave.

Dumpsters, which will display the DeKalb County Recycling emblem, will be placed at the following school locations:

DeKalb High School, 1515 S. Fourth St,

Chesebro School, Ninth and Garden Streets,

Clinton Rosette Middle School, 650 N. First St.,

untley Middle School, South Seventh and Taylor Streets,

Jefferson School, North First and McCormick Drive,

Lincoln School, South Second and Sunset Place,

Littlejohn School, North 12th and School Streets, and

Tyler School, Alden Circle.

The program will run through Nov. 15.

See Recycling Page 8

Recycling

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