PURVIS, Miss. (AP) - Lamar County’s public recycling program is being phased out over the next few weeks because of misuse and abuse of the less than two-year-old program.
Supervisor Phillip Carlisle said he’s aware of issues with the public recycling program that Lamar County partnered with Sumrall Recycling to create in August 2012.
“I’ve pulled up to the bins before and caught the folks up there on tailgates dumping household garbage in the recycle bins,” Carlisle told the Hattiesburg American (https://hatne.ws/1wkPdR7 ).
“The crazy thing about that particular case is that there are garbage bins literally 30 feet away,” he said.
The board of supervisors decided Tuesday to shut down the program, including drop-off locations at county facilities. No firm closing date has been announced.
“When people stack newspapers, for instance, outside the bins, the wind blows the papers everywhere. We end up having to send county employees up there to clean it up, and when that happens, they are pulled off (other) duties and get behind on those,” Carlisle said.
Lately, Carlisle said the garbage has been joined by household cleaners, dead animals and medical waste.
“Although the containers are well marked with items authorized, household garbage has always been an issue,” he said.
Carlisle said Sumrall Recycling told county officials it could no longer afford to deal with work stops and potential legal violations.
“(They’ve) stated that if they were caught with an item like a medical needle, the fines they would incur could be very stiff,” Carlisle said. “For (Sumrall Recycling), it simply has become a nuisance and too much (of a) liability.”
Carlisle said the only way recycling might return would be during restricted hours and under supervision. But Carlisle said the additional cost required would make that a difficult proposition.
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Information from: The Hattiesburg American, https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com
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