WJJQ LOCAL NEWS
City of Tomahawk Recycling

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

The city of Tomahawk is continuing to recycle at a high rate. The recycling volume totals from Eagle Waste for the months of April through August of this year were 145.66 tons. The total tonnage for that same time period last year was 28.31 tons for an increase of 514%.

The 5 month increase is actually higher than the first 2 months, which means the recycling is increasing rather than leveling off. Director of Public Works Mike
Tolvstad said, "I was not expecting the initial rate to be as high as it was and I certainly did not expect it to continue to climb as it has."

Over the course of a full year, the city can avoid sending nearly 300 tons of recyclables to the Lincoln County Landfill. That reduction in the waste stream would amount to a $12,700 cost savings in landfill fees.

Tolvstad did say the drawback to the increased recycling would be a possible higher tipping fee rate to cover fixed costs. He finished by saying, "If that is the only downside to this, we should be thrilled."

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