BUCKHANNON — With the #BuckhannonRecycles campaign underway, the city received timely news that the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will fund part of the purchase price of a new recycling hook lift truck.

Pick-up around town and at the two drop-off centers will get a boost as the new truck will replace a deficient piece of equipment that was over 10 years old, and as such was costly to maintain and operate. The award of $50,000 represents about half of the total expected cost.

Niki Davis of the Rehabilitative Environmental Action Plan (REAP) Recycling Grants program presented the award to City Engineer and Waste Board member, Jay Hollen, at the West Virginia Educational Conference on Litter Control and Solid Waste Management held at Stonewall Jackson Resort Oct. 28-30.

The City of Buckhannon Waste Department picks up recycling from the CrossRoads Recycling Drop-Off Center and local businesses using a hook lift truck. The Waste Department also picks up recycling from residences twice monthly.

Currently, the Recycling Center accepts 1 & 2 plastics, aluminum & steel cans, paper & magazines, and corrugated cardboard.

Recycling is a good way to cut back on the amount of material that flows into landfills, extending the lifetime of these facilities, while saving landfill tipping fees. In turn, the city also collects payment for the materials it collects, rather than paying for its disposal, as is the case with waste that goes to the landfill.

When you compare the costs spent on the old equipment, plus the additional landfill tipping fees if the City did not offer recycling, this equipment acquisition is a no-brainer.

With the help of $50,000 from the REAP program, thecity will be able to acquire the needed equipment with no additional cost to our residents or businesses. In the broader context, recycling also reduces the need for raw materials and allows for more efficient production of new goods, a win for the environment and the economy.

To learn more about recycling in Buckhannon and Upshur County, please visit the city page on recycling here: http://buckhannonwv.org/residents/recycling/

To learn about the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s REAP programs, visit their webpage here: https://dep.wv.gov/environmental-advocate/reap/Pages/default.aspx