Among items being accepted at the site are water bottles, bubble wraps and any food wraps.
Most recycling centers aren’t accepting plastic, according to Amber Gwynn, executive director of the Ohio County Solid Waste Authority.
“Recycling has changed. It used to be you could recycle anything,” she said. “We are focusing on really clean recycling.
“We are doing plastics 1 and 2 — water bottles and anything with a neck.”
The authority has worked out a deal with the Trex company, which will take away the plastics and utilize them in the production of their plastic-based construction materials.
For every 500 pounds of plastics recycled, Ohio County will receive a plastic bench from Trex, according to Gwynn.
Plastic film being discarded by the Ziegenfelder Co. in Wheeling is presently being tested by Trex to make certain it is recyclable. The company plans to discards thousands of pounds of wrap, she said.
The authority also is working with the Lions Club International, which until recently supplied drop off bins for plastic bags at local retail stores.
During the COVID pandemic, most stores have been reluctant to deal with the bags. Some of these bins now have been set up at the OCSWA drop-off site, Gwynn said.
In addition to plastic, other types of items also can be brought in for recycling by the authority.
Aluminum cans, such as soup cans, are accepted at the drop off site. What isn’t allowed are metal cans with liners that usually hold such things as cat food, Gwynn said.
Cardboard, paper and magazines can be brought to the recycling center. Prohibited are pizza boxes or waxed cardboard boxes such as milk cartons, she said.
The site is located behind Hobby Lobby and Best Buy at The Highlands, and is open for drops off only from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. The site is fenced off, and when closed it is monitored by cameras, according to Gwynn.