Recycling in Southwest Missouri and why it matters

Recycling has been around for a long time. Archaeological evidence indicates that during historical periods of fewer available resources for cultural or climate reasons, fewer items were dumped as household waste; and in more recent history, reuse of scrap materials helped free up resources for the war effort during World War II and helped offset rising energy costs in the later 20th century. 

Although questions have arisen as to the health and environmental impact of recycling various types of materials, including skyrocketing numbers of obsolete electronics, most government and environmental entities still advise that reusing materials through recycling benefits the environment by keeping products out of landfills, and can help lower production costs of new products, particularly metal. 

But the question is, how should the average consumer go about recycling? For residents of Stone County, including Kimberling City, Reeds Spring and Branson West areas, Earthwise Recycling Center can help. Founded by Korina Branson-Jones and her husband, David, Earthwise is a nonprofit organization that collects cardboard, tin, aluminum, paper, plastics and glass. After several years of partnership with Reeds Spring school district for a drop-off location, which ended when the district needed the facility for other purposes, Earthwise reopened last spring at 10 Fire Station Road in Kimberling City. They partner with the city for facility space, and with Republic Waste, which has the city waste contract, for hauling the collected materials. 

Most items collected are taken to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Springfield, and sorted for the best available reuse market. Glass is taken to the transfer station in Branson, and then to Ripple Glass in Kansas City for appropriate remanufacture markets. As part of the reopening, however, Earthwise acquired balers for cardboard and aluminum, enabling them to consolidate and transport those materials by trailer-load for revenue. Those funds help with operating costs of the Earthwise facility, as well as with the nonprofit’s mission of awareness and outreach through area special events and presentations. 

Local collection services and guidelines vary by community, but Korina says most pick-up services, including Republic, do not accept glass due to worker safety concerns. At the Kimberling City/Earthwise facility, here are a few things to keep in mind: 

●      Keep cardboard separate, and flatten boxes. Cardboard, including lightweight versions such as cereal boxes, is the top tier of fiber lengths/weights and widely reusable to produce lighter-weight items such as greeting cards and printer paper; those in turn recycle into softer items such as paper towels or bath tissue—generally the “end of the line” for the fibers. 

●      Take lids off glass items, and keep in mind the general guideline is to recycle glass if food was IN it, not ON it, says Korina. For example, wine bottles, pasta sauce jars and similar items are great, but serving plates, candle holders, etc. are rejected due to lead content. 

●      Separate beverage-type aluminum (soda and beer cans, etc.) from other metal so they can be baled. 

●      Non-beverage aluminum and tin, miscellaneous papers and plastics are referred to as “co-mingle” items and may be taken to the facility together for later sorting. 

Earthwise is open on Saturdays, 8 to 11 a.m. As a nonprofit, they depend heavily on volunteers to help with unloading and sorting. This is a great opportunity for church groups, neighborhood associations and clubs to get involved in helping the community. Learn more about Earthwise Recycling and how you can help, and stay up to date on special events and weather-related closures, by visiting the Facebook page, Earthwise Recycling Center – Kimberling City. A good general discussion of recycling can also be found at https://springfieldmrf.org.