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Kent County Recycling Center temporarily closing for paper sorting upgrades

The recycling center will close for a couple of months to improve efficiency and quality to the paper sorting system.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — The Kent County Recycling and Education Center says it will close down for a couple months to upgrade the paper sorting system. 

The renovations will take place starting Monday, Feb. 24 and last until around March 13. According to a press release, the facility will be closed and unable to accept recyclable materials, from both curbside and drop-off locations, for processing until new equipment is installed. 

The upgrades will go to improving the efficiency and quality of the paper sorting system by replacing the mechanical screens used to sort. Paper accounts for 70% of the processed material at the Kent County Recycling & Education Center (REC). In 2019, the Kent County REC processed 16,692 tons of paper product. 

The recycling center sorts out at least a truckload of paper every day and the screens used in the sorting process are part of the original equipment from when the facility opened in 2010. They've been running for over 30,000 operational hours, the REC said. 

Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Tipping recycling into a storage shed from a refuse collection lorry. Taken with a slowish shutter speed so some of the recycling has motion blur.

“The recycling industry has changed significantly in the past few years due to increased global import restrictions,” said Dar Baas, director of Kent County Department of Public Works. “It’s imperative we make improvements to keep producing a high-quality product in a very competitive domestic market.” 

Updates and more information on the temporary closure will be available at www.reimaginetrash.org or call 616-632-7945. 

Residents can also find other outlets for recycling during this time, like another county location, or PaperGator. Locations for PaperGator can be found on papergatorrecycling.com/locations.

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