By JOHN E. WEARE
KAB
Let’s have a most unique find of the day contest, Bonnie Fanhauser suggested as she began her shift sorting at the north end of the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center. That day she would have won hands down. Bonnie and Larry Sanchez are our dedicated, veteran sorters – a decidedly valuable position. Now, KAB is seeking a third amigo to comb through curbside recycling bags, drive up recycling and whatever else comes through our doors that requires separating.
Plenty of volunteers have come to our aid over the years with larger groups (such as Job Corps students) making a big difference in a short amount of time. However, the task is not for everyone. We don’t have 100 percent adherence to the stipulation that materials must be clean and dry. And we do see just plain old trash in what may have started as a waste bag and been topped with recycling if we’re giving the patron the benefit of the doubt. Others enjoy the organization aspect and even near a “recycling Zen” where can, bottles,cardboard and everything else is now in its place without much thinking required.
Sorters also have the benefit of interacting with the public, mostly our regulars who value the service as they gather boxes and bags from trunks and pickup beds. After a friendly greeting the second question is always: do you want these boxes/bags back? Unless the weather is frigid, rainy or snowy, our alley door is open with a faded “recycle here” sign propped against the brick exterior. Our crew pulls battered laundry-style carts into the alley to full drive ups. Curbside teams also fill them every Wednesday.
The default for curbside, a paid subscription service, is single-stream recycling though a number on the weekly routes take time to sort – time spent on the front end that helps us on the back end. Watch this space and other media in the coming weeks as KAB begins an educational campaign on the correct way to sort based on our recycling center’s needs as well as an announcement concerning a pilot program.
I do not foresee KAB ever rejecting a bag of unsorted recycling. Therefore sorters will always be a key part of the team. Even the multi-million dollar machines that use electronic eyes, scales and other technology to parse metropolitan recycling have teams of real live humans to make sure everything ends up in the correct bin.
Contact the KAB office at 308-762-1729 for information if sorting recycling might be a fit.