Agency supports and creates alternatives to landfilling

In a July 18 article (“Solid Waste Agency, Marion at odds over garbage”), Marion City Manager Lon Pluckhahn was asked why an ethanol-producing company wants to work with the City of Marion to collect garbage for a fuel source rather than the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency. Pluckhahn responded, “[Marion's] been a little more accommodating to alternatives.”

Really? In the past four years alone, the Solid Waste Agency has started a wood recovery program, shingle recycling, and carpet/carpet pad recycling that has kept thousands of tons of material out of the landfill. The agency also accepts televisions, computers and all electronics for recycling from Linn County residents for no charge. The agency not only supports alternatives to landfilling, it creates them.

Meanwhile, as a Marion resident, I cannot even recycle glass jars, bottles and containers curbside; city trucks do not collect them. Luckily, I can drop them off at either agency location for no charge. While the City of Marion continues to try and find alternatives to the services and programs offered by the Solid Waste Agency, the agency's new Resource Recovery building will open this October. All Linn County residents, including Marion residents, will be welcome to use this one-stop shop for recycling and reuse.

As a recycling proponent and advocate, I applaud Marion for seeking alternatives and hope it proves to be environmentally safe and economically viable. As a Marion resident and taxpayer, I cannot help but worry that I am going to end up paying for services I already have access to now for free - the Solid Waste Agency does not receive any taxpayer dollars.

Joe Horaney

Communications Director,

Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid Waste Agency