Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority operations manager Brad Austin explains the day-to-day functions of the Authority’s recycling facility. The new recycling facility has been in operation since November, with one-stream recycling becoming available to residents of Marquette County just a month before that. (Diary photo by Katie Segula)

MARQUETTE – Officials from the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority have been working to reduce input to the landfill this year while offering tours to help educate the community about landfill and recycling operations in Marquette County.

The authority’s new recycling facility has been in operation since November, with one-stream recycling becoming available to residents of Marquette County just a month before that.

The MCSWMA recycling process begins in the new corrugated iron hoop building. The facade of the building is open to transporters to drop off recyclable materials.

“If you put (recyclables) in your recycling bin, we can put it through this process and we can get it to its most useful life.” said MCSWMA director of operations Brad Austin. “Or you can put it (in the landfill), and once you put it (in the landfill), it never comes out. So we built this with the idea that we wanted to show both images.

A front loader pushes cardboard, paper, plastic and metal to a coiled conveyor belt. MCSWMA employees screen the mixed recyclables that come down the belt and remove specific materials from the conveyor.

Recycling passes a programmed machine that continues sorting and from the machine it goes to organized storage areas where recyclables are stacked in bales waiting to be shipped to multiple areas – including a facility in Wisconsin – where the material is sold.

“One of the biggest problems (for residents) has been,” Austin said, “How can I do it and where does it go?” “

MCSWMA officials offer facility tours for residents, businesses and municipalities to educate and work with residents of Marquette County, Austin said.

Additionally, Austin and the MCSWMA Board of Directors are finding ways through city tours and communications to make the recycling process more accessible to all county residents.

Austin pointed out that the Recycle 906 website at www.recycle906.com is a resource for people to check out the recycling option before throwing an item in the trash. The website also offers a research assistant resource that allows people to find the appropriate disposal method for a given item or substance.

For example, a search for “pumpkins” advises on bringing it to the Marquette County Solid Waste Management Authority’s organics drop-off program as the best option, with placing the item in the listed garbage as a secondary option.

A search for ” electronic cigarette “ Where “vape” – which can often contain lithium-ion batteries – indicates that this type of item is not collected from the curb and recommends the MCSWMA program for household hazardous waste as the best – and only – disposal option, with a link to more information on collection dates.

Lithium-ion batteries remain a concern for the authority because of the safety risks presented by batteries, which can catch fire when damaged, Austin said.

Austin said finding a battery disposal site is essential instead of placing batteries in recycling or trash and advises residents to call MCSMWA with any questions about battery disposal at 906-249 -4125 or visit recycle906.com for more information.

The battery disposal sites in Marquette County are as follows, according to recycle906.com:

≤ Goodwill, 3125 US 41, Marquette

≤ Peter White Public Library, 217 N. Front St., Marquette

≤ Marquette Food Co-op, 502 W. Washington St., Marquette

≤ Lutheran Church of the Messiah, 305 W. Magnetic St., Marquette

≤ Upper watershed, 2 Peter White Drive, Marquette

Yellow Dog Watershed, 308 Bensinger Street, Big Bay

≤ St. Vincent de Paul Marquette, 2119 Presque Isle Ave., Marquette

≤ St. Vincent de Paul Ishpeming, 322 Cleveland Ave., Ishpeming

≤ St. Vincent de Paul Republic, 316 Kloman Ave., Republic

≤ St. Michael’s Catholic Church, 401 W. Kaye Ave., Marquette

United Presbyterian Church, 112 E. Euclid St., Ishpeming

Katie Segula can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242. His email address is [email protected]