SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. (WJAC) — People in Somerset County will have to find an alternative way to recycle.
This comes after the county commissioners made the choice to suspend their recycling program, effective March 13.
The Somerset County recycling program began in the 1990s.
The current model which consists of nine drop off sites throughout the county began in 2008.
The recyclables would then be picked up and sorted through by inmates from the county jail.
Now, county commissioners are saying the model is no longer working.
“We’ve had a lot of different items put in the shed that were not really recyclable. We’ve had a lot of contraband put in the shed knowing there were inmates going in there. There have been some instances of contraband going back into the jail because of those work details. It is just a model we feel was not sustainable in the future,” said Somerset County Commissioner Colleen Dawson.
Dawson and other officials from Somerset County are actively working to find a solution to this recycling problem. They recently toured Blair County’s recycling facility.
“We went up there and looked at a few different models trying to think how they may work in Somerset County. That’s not going to be the only facility we visit. We plan on going to multiple counties and also working with the DEP and getting some advice from those people who have already done this,” said Dawson.
Dawson said Somerset County is looking to fill a new, full-time position of a recycling coordinator.
The position would be responsible for finding grant money to help the county’s recycling program, as well as educating schools and businesses about recycling.
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