A month after Show, Inc. stopped taking recycling through its nighttime drop-off area, the Sapulpa organization says trash dumping there has nearly stopped.
“Overall, I think the change has gone more smoothly than I expected,” Executive Director Robert Lawrence told Sapulpa Times. “The recycling center looks much cleaner and we don’t have debris blowing around the parking lot and potentially into traffic or neighbor’s yards.”
Show, Inc. announced in August that it would no longer accept recycling through its night drop starting Sept. 1. Drop-offs now must be made during regular operating hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The organization said at the time that excessive trash dumping and nonresidential materials left in the night drop area had created extra work for staff and interfered with its ability to properly manage and process recyclables.
Lawrence said a significant amount of material was left at the night drop the first weekend, over Labor Day. Since then, he said, there have been “maybe one or two bags at most and NO contamination from trash.”
He said he wants people to understand what that dumping costs.
“We have to pay to haul that stuff off, the same as they would,” Lawrence said. “And that takes away from the other services we provide.”
Show, Inc. provides vocational services to adults with developmental disabilities through its recycling program.
For people who can’t make it during weekday hours, Show, Inc. held an after-hours drop-off day the weekend of Oct. 3-4. Lawrence said about a dozen customers came out, “some with a pretty big load.”
“We are going to try to do that about once per month, so there will be a way to drop off for free,” he said. “But having staff here to take in material will keep the contamination out and keep our parking lot clean.”
Lawrence said the real test will come during the holidays.
“From Black Friday through the first week of January we get a LOT of cardboard, as you would expect,” he said. “Hopefully, we can keep up with it during operating hours.”
Customers can help speed up the process by breaking down cardboard and removing Styrofoam and packing material, he said.
Residents who would rather have their recycling collected at home can sign up for Show, Inc.’s curbside pickup service at showinc.org. Show, Inc. is located at 425 W. Wells Blvd.
“We really appreciate our customers helping us out with this change,” Lawrence said.