Frenchtown Township will launch a recycling dropoff center Jan. 26 for the first time at the Mall of Monroe, hoping to satisfy residents, many of whom have been flocking to Monroe Township to recycle their materials.
The township has enlisted the aid of Stevens Disposal & Recycling of Petersburg to open the free weekly dropoff center in the parking lot near the rear entrance to Phoenix Theatres located at 2121 N. Monroe St. The center will be open every Wednesday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., said Clerk Kyle Bryant. The center, accessible from Mall Rd., can be reached from both N. Monroe St. (M-125) and N. Telegraph Rd. (US-24).
The township has been searching for a site to reuse household products since the township ended curbside recycling in November, 2019, due to high costs.
“This is for township residents only,” Bryant said Tuesday. “We will have someone there monitoring the dropoffs. This should alleviate the heavy traffic at the Monroe Township center.”
There will be two bins in the parking lot to collect recyclables. One bin will be used to drop off paper products, glass, plastics and tin, he said. The other bin will be used strictly for cardboard products.
A maintenance employee for the township will stand by to check identification of persons unloading at the center, the clerk said.
“We want to assure compliance and verify their residency,” Bryant said.
The clerk said he plans to be at the mall most of the first day to view the operation up close and to gather comments from citizens dropping off materials.
“I hope it’s well received,” he said.
Wednesday is the same day that Monroe Township has its dropoff center open behind the township hall off Dunbar Rd. Bryant said he has heard from residents who drive there every week and find the bins there are often full or the vehicles wait in line to dispose of their materials.
Stevens Disposal is Frenchtown’s current rubbish hauler and yard waste contractor. The township has not had a recycling program since the curbside service with Republic Services Inc. ended.