Oceana County: After two years of planning, grant writing, and site preparation, the Newfield Township recycling center is open. Township Clerk, Nancy Conley, has led the charge to bring residential recycling services to the township and surrounding area. “Recycling has not been available to residents in this area for quite some time. As our budget has allowed for amenities to our residents we have made road improvements but wanted to provide more services for our community,” said Conley. “Creating a recycling center has been a really rewarding project and we have had a lot of interest for when we will be open.” The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has a goal of increasing recycling participation throughout the state. To reach that goal EGLE has been offering grant dollars for community projects. In early 2023, Newfield Township leadership submitted a request for an Infrastructure grant and was awarded approximately $35,000 to create the recycling center. These grant dollars will be used for purchasing collection dumpsters, fencing, concrete padding, signage, brochures, lights, and security cameras. Recycling hauling services will be contracted with American Classic who recently opened a material recycling facility in Newaygo, Michigan. This facility is where the recyclables will be taken after collection, sorted and baled for end markets. Lola Harmon-Ramsey, the Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement for American Classic assisted the Newfield Township team with the grant preparation and site layout. “Our goal at American Classic is to provide more rural recycling opportunities. Instead of having to take materials all the way to Grand Rapids we are able to accept and market local recyclables. This saves haulers time and fuel to be able to add recycling services to their routes. We are excited to grow in the Oceana County region,” said Harmon-Ramsey. The center is currently scheduled to be open on Monday, Wednesday 8am to 4pm and Saturday, 8am to noon, located at 3890 S 198th Ave, Hesperia, MI The items the site can accept are flattened cardboard, boxboard, and paper to be placed in the brown containers. Glass, aluminum, tin, cartons and firm plastics should be placed in the green containers. The items will be separated to encourage better recycling practices and to reduce contamination. Plastic bags and films are not accepted as well as styrofoam. Recycling guides will be provided at the site, on the signage at the site, and available to download from the township website. Volunteers will be at the site at different times to help residents learn how to best prepare their recyclables for proper collection. Residents from Newfield Township, Denver Township, Greenwood Township, and the Village of Hesperia are invited to use the recycling center during open hours. For more information and updates please visit the Newfield Township website at www.newfieldtownship.org.
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April 2024
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