Cherokee County to resume glass recycling at Hobgood Park center
The Cherokee Recycling Center soon will be able to accept glass again at its Hobgood Park location and will save money in the process, according to a press release.
At its Aug. 17 meeting, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of a glass pulverizer from low-bidder, Compactors, Inc. at a cost of $18,440.
The county contracts with a company to remove the glass and recycle it, however, a shortage of drivers has prohibited the company from removing the full bins in a timely fashion. As an on-call bin, Recycling Center staff calls the hauler when the bin is full. Prior to the pandemic, the bin would be picked up within 24-48 hours, but now, Recycling Center Manager Troy Brazie said it’s a month to a month-and-a-half. That is forcing Recycling Center staff to temporarily stop taking glass as a recyclable at the Hobgood Park location. The Blalock Road location continues to accept glass.
The county currently pays about $18,000 per year to have the glass hauled away and recycled, with $7,000 coming back as revenue. Eliminating the hauling contract, the pulverizer will pay for itself in two years and will eliminate an $11,000 annual loss.
