Council Bluffs Recycling Center

Shannon Meister, Education Coordinator at the Council Bluffs Recycling Center, spoke at the Treynor Optimist Club on Saturday, September 19.  She promotes recycling in schools and community organizations.

The Council Bluffs Recycling Center accepts newspapers and magazines, cardboard, plastics, and metals at its drop off points.  Books, construction debris, electronics, tires, florescent light bulbs, and hazardous wastes are also accepted at the recycling center.  Plastics must be number 1 or 2 plastics.

The recycling market crashed with the stock market last year.  When the market crashed, paper and cardboard went from $160 per ton to about $20.  Now it is around $80-$90.  Since the processing cost is about $80 per ton, the recycling center just started selling the paper it has collected since the market crash.

All types of glass are accepted.  Glass is the only item totally processed at the facility.  It is crushed and made into glass sand.  There is not much of a market for glass in this area.