LAINSBURG, MI (WILX) - The Greater Laingsburg Recyclers (GRL) is running into major problems that could end their 31 year run of monthly drop-off recycling services.
"We have a February drive that we want to do," said Dan Sibo. "If the building is gone, that creates some problems for us."
To keep up their recycling services, GLR needs a new recycling facility because the building they've been using for storage is set to be demolished.
"We hope to have some sort of shelter that we can use because when it's sleeting down rain it gets pretty miserable pretty quickly," Sibo said.
But that's not the only problem.
Original member, Terry Link says they need younger volunteers, as the average age of the dozen consistent crew members is 70.
"It gets physically tiring and hard, especially climbing these stairs with icy conditions, and we need the younger folks to lighten that load a bit," said Link.
And it's quite a load.
Since the group started in 1988, they say they have collected nearly 2 million pounds of recyclable materials.
Recyclable materials that cars line the streets with every 2nd Saturday of the month to drop off, which are then picked up by a Friedland Industry truck.
"There is a lot of social glue that gets built in doing this type of work in the community, not just among us as volunteers, but with the interactions with those who bring in their stuff from all over," said Link. "There is something really positive and we don't want to lose that."
GLR says they have met with the city and have a few potential options that could work as a short-term recycling center.
They tell News 10, they will make the decision where or *if* February's drive will take place, within the next week.
News 10 did reach out to the city and they say they have no comment on this situation.
If you have questions on recycling or are interested in becoming a volunteer, you send an email to link@msu.edu.
Courtesy : www.wilx.com