Round 'em up — all your plastics, that is

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Crater High School freshman Jeremy Harvey tosses a stack of buckets into a plastics recycling bag in the Jackson County Exposition Park lot. Celine Fulton's modified diploma class is helping out with this weekend's plastic recycling drive.Bob Pennell

October 24, 2009

By Teresa Thomas

Mail Tribune

Buckets, planters, potato chip bags, toys, lawn chairs, twine, tarps and CD cases — local recyclers want it all.

Nearly 50 volunteers from businesses, agencies and schools spent Friday unloading and sorting soft, hard and nursery plastic into 1.6-cubic-yard "supersacks" from about 250 cars and trucks at the second annual Jackson County Plastic Round-up.

The roundup continues today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jackson County Exposition Park in Central Point and the National Guard Armory in Ashland.

Friday's volunteers collected about 208 cubic yards of plastic trash.

"We have had calls and e-mails from people requesting this event," said organizer Paige Prewett. "We know there's a big demand for it. ... They're not just excited about the event, but they're excited to get the plastic out of their garage."

Last year, more than 1,200 businesses and individuals dropped off about 43,560 pounds or 20,350 cubic feet of plastic in a two-day period, said Prewett.

"We're expecting even more this year because people are expecting it," said Denise Wolgamott, recycling coordinator for Rogue Disposal.

This year recyclers also are encouraging people to bring in all agricultural plastics, including irrigation components, twine and greenhouse film.

The cost is $5 per vehicle for residential cars and pickups and $5 per yard for businesses and large loads. The alternative is to pay $16.50 to drop off a minimum load of 11/2 yards of waste at Rogue Disposal and Recycling Transfer Station, Prewett said.

"The biggest thorn in (a recycler's) side for diverting waste away from a landfill and to reusable is plastics," she said.

Joshua Gibson, a sales data analyst for Jackson County, took a vacation day to volunteer at the round-up.

"(The round-up) helps out diverting trash," he said.

"It's the Super Bowl for me."

After the plastic is collected, separated and bagged, it is hauled to Agri-Plas Inc. in Brooks, where it is made into chips or pellets and sold to manufacturers to create new plastic items or mixed with recycled wood powder to be made into railroad ties.

"We see this as an opportunity to get rid of what we can't recycle," said Dennis Fadling, who dropped off a truckload of plastic tubs, tarps, plastic laundry baskets and nursery pots that he had accumulated over about six years.

Gerald Baber, who works for Rogue Creamery, dropped off a truckload of chemical cleaning barrels.

"Some of this stuff we don't have any place to get rid of the rest of the year," he said.

Before the round-up existed, he said he would cut the barrels into pieces and put them in the Dumpster.

"The ideal would be that people would know the event is coming and hold on to their plastic until the next round-up," Prewett said. The event is yearly, but organizers hope it could eventually grow to twice a year.

See a detailed list of acceptable items at www.jcrecycle.org/09-plastic-roundup.html. For more information, e-mail info@jcrecycle.org.

Reach intern Teresa Thomas at 776-4464 or at intern1@mailtribune.com.

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