KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The Kent County Recycling and Education Center will reopen this week after structural damage caused a three-day shutdown.
Bales of cardboard recycling built up and pushed through the facility's side wall Monday afternoon, officials say. It damaged the exterior wall and a roof support beam.
No one was injured in the incident.
The building, located at 977 Wealthy Street SW, is set to open Friday, March 24.
“We have ensured the building is supported and assessed the full extent of the damage to the facility,” said Dar Baas, director of the Kent County Department of Public Works. “We’ll be testing equipment Thursday and plan to begin accepting material and processing recyclables on Friday.”
Structural engineers are assessing the damage and construction crews are putting in building supports. Permanent repairs will take several months to complete, Recycling Center staff say.
Residential recycling drop-offs and tours are still open to the public.
During the closure, recycling materials were forwarded to the Waste-to-Energy facility.
“We occasionally experience closures at the recycling center when we need to shut the processing line down to install new equipment or make repairs,” said Steve Faber, marketing and communications manager for the Kent County Department of Public Works.
“During these outages, it’s always a good idea to connect with your waste hauler to see if they recommend holding on to your recycling.”
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