Owensboro Recycling up 26%

The city of Owensboro is recycling more than ever. Thats according to a release by the city sanitation department. The recycling rate is up twenty six percent since last year. The environmental movement and a new recycling location are two possible reasons why that number is up. Protecting the environment by recycling has been a hot button topic recently. But many folks have been doing it for years. "Milk jugs, plastic bottles, cans, newspapers, magazines." "Everyone needs to recycle. I think there should be more recycling than there is." Back in may, the Owensboro recycling center moved from the sportscenter to the public works building on Fifth Street. Downey Ward of the sanitation department says the new location is a bit out of the way, but its making recycling cleaner and easier. "We look at it every day, every morning, we monitor it, keep it safer keep it cleaner, there isnt nearly as much contamination or illegal dumping." "That 26% increase is based on how many tons of recycling they had last year as compared with this year." Recyclers are filling bins with loads of newspapers and strings of milkjugs. It could be a new fad but ward says he thinks this new and improved location can take a lot of the credit. And, he says, a little loyalty can go a long way. "Citizen involvement, there are many dedicated people that are here every week and we have new faces coming in everyday." Some of those frequent recyclers are complaining the center is too narrow for them to turn around their cars. But other than that they say no matter what it takes, theyll be turning their trash into reusable materials for a long time to come. The more organized the recycling is, the purer the new products can be. The sanitation department is asking the public to respect the new site by recycling carefully. The new recycling site is at 1410 West Fifth Street. There you can recycle everything from cardboard to coke cans.