<B>City Looks for Recycling Alternatives</B>

The city of St. Joseph, Mo., is attempting to continue its voluntary recycling drop-off program. However, the company that has been handling the recyclables since 1995, Deffenbaugh Recycling Co., has been working without a contract for around 2 years. The company said it plans to stop service to St. Joseph unless the city signs a contract by the end of next month.

Deffenbaugh Industries, Atchison, Kan., has been hauling, processing and marketing the recyclables for free since the contract ended.

The city operates a recycling center that collects ONP, OCC, office paper, plastics and glass. Deffenbaugh supplies the containers. City employees and volunteers unload, screen and sort the materials.

According to local press reports Deffenbaugh offered the city three options:

Pay Deffenbaugh $149 per container to haul recylables, an estimated $70,000 annually; haul the containers to Deffenbaugh in return for a percentage of the recyclables’ sales price; or hire someone else to haul materials to Deffenbaugh. Under that scenario, Deffenbaugh would offer the city a percentage of the material sales.

Bruce Woody, public works director for the city, said the city is set to issue an RFP to look at the possibility of another vendor providing the roll-off boxes, as well as possibly hauling the material.