Albany, Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful provide recycling, options

ALBANY — Want to get rid of those old aluminum cans, bottles, or even an old computer or sofa? The city of Albany and Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful have got it covered with their recycling program.

With two drop-off locations for cans, cardboard, bottles and paperboard, and seven sites for items too large to fit in residential garbage cans, such as old furniture, there is no reason to toss an old mattress or couch on the side of the street or dump it in an alleyway, Jwana Washington, executive director of Keep Albany-Dougherty Beautiful, said.

For Alysia Cutting, the drop-off center at 2521 Meredyth Drive is a frequent stop. The other city site is located at the intersection of Front Street and Mercer Avenue behind the Albany Civic Center, and both are open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

“I am so happy it’s here,” Cutting, who moved to Albany from Massachusetts a year and a half ago, said. “I am an avid recycler. They see me here every day because I collect recyclables for the people I work with, also.”

On Thursday, the traffic through the Meredyth Drive site was brisk, with drivers dropping off bags for placement in one of the eight large receptacles.

“The location is convenient,” Cutting said. “One of the first things I asked when I moved here is where is the recycling center. One of the things that is a sign for a progressive community to have is a recycling center.

“Everybody who knows me knows I am a recycler, and I encourage everybody to do the same.”

Residents can drop off old televisions and electronics at the KADB site at 2106 Habersham Road. There is a $10 cost for the old-style large television sets and $5 for large computer monitors.

“Those contain hazardous materials we have to dispose of,” Washington said. For the other items, “This is a free service to the people in Albany.”

Acceptable plastic includes most clear plastic such as drink bottles and milk jugs. Other plastics such as bleach or detergent bottles are not accepted. Other materials accepted include magazines, newspapers and old phone books.

“There’s really no need for people to litter or put things in front of their house,” Washington said. “Just as easy as you put it on the side of the road, you can bring it to one of the sites. We’re here, we’re open, we’re here to help. We’re here to help the community and to help us keep recyclables out of the landfill.”

When furniture and old electronics are dumped illegally, city staff have to go out and pick them up, taking up time they could spend on their regular duties, she said.

“That costs taxpayers money,” Washington said. “That takes away from the time they could be doing their job.”

On Sept. 10 an e-cycling event will be held behind the Civic Center.

“We’ll be taking all the electronics” at no cost, Washington said. “We will be shredding, and people can drop off medications they no longer need.”

The Meredyth Drive center has a continuous flow of traffic, site manager Larry Stephens said.

“It’s busy all day, every day,” he said.

One of the main issues with rejecting items is individuals who bring recyclable materials mixed with household garbage, he said.

Recyclable materials must be separated for drop-off.

The 24-hour centers for larger items are located in the 1600 block of Owens Avenue, the intersection of Patrol Drive and Rosser Lane, 2600 Jackson St., the back parking lot at the Civic Center, 400 11th Ave. and Avalon Park on Avalon Avenue.

The Meredyth Drive site accepts those materials during regular operating hours.

File Photo: Alan MauildinAlanMauldin[email protected]
Staff Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]

Staff Photo: Alan MauldnAlanMauldin[email protected]

File Photo: Alan MauldinAlanMauldin[email protected]