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.
