Buy a bin for the dump
Published 11:04 am Wednesday, July 16, 2014
By Sarah Eppenbach
Special to the Weekly
If you’ve frequented the Recycle Plaza at the Lopez Dump, you’re familiar with the sagging cardboard totes lined up to receive your rinsed and empty soda bottles, yogurt tubs, clamshells, and other plastics. Exposed to the elements for months on end, the cartons gradually assumed a rakish lean before disintegrating altogether, often spilling their contents in the process.
All that changed recently when the Lopez Solid Waste Disposal District began replacing the dilapidated cardboard totes with reusable plastic containers called IBC’s (Intermediate Bulk Containers). Made to transport liquids, the IBC’s start life as 1,000-litre jugs housed within a sturdy galvanized metal frame. LSWDD buys them used off Craig’s List and cuts off the tops of the jugs to repurpose them into durable all-weather storage containers.
The new plastic totes, wwhich cost an average $85 apiece, are the targets of a new “Buy A Bin” fundraising drive by SWAP, the non-profit organization that supports the Dump. Building on the success of last year’s effort to raise funds to buy the backhoe from the County, SWAP aims to raise $4,000 to cover the cost of acquiring up to 50 IBC’s.
Lightweight and easily maneuvered, the plastic totes are a hit with volunteers and staff. “I love them!” says longtime Dump employee Bob Chonka. “One man can dump them, they’re strong, they stack nicely, they don’t collapse when it rains. And they’re labor-saving–you don’t have to take the totes down and fold them up.”
The bins come with a spigot for drainage and a built-in pallet for transport by forklift or pallet-jack. Most importantly, they can be stacked three-high and stored in the open until there’s enough volume for baling and shipping to the recyclables market in Burlington. In the case of clamshells, for example–the hinged clear plastic containers used for take-out and salad greens–that means stockpiling 15 to 20 bins in order to create a single marketable bale.
To contribute to the Buy A Bin fund, stop by the SWAP booth at the Saturday Market or donate at the pay kiosk at the Dump. All contributions will be tax deductible. The thermometer sign near the kiosk will soon be tracking progress toward the $4,000 goal.
