Dickinson recycling business closing

DICKINSON (AP) - The owner of a Dickinson recycling business says the market no longer will support it, and a city official says it's not feasible in a rural area without a subsidy.

Gardner Polanchek, who owns G & G Recycling, says he plans to close. He would like to see the city of Dickinson take over the cardboard side of his business. The city already helps by baling some of the cardboard to prepare it for shipment.

Polanchek collects about 1.4 million pounds of cardboard per year. His business works with the recycling of steel, copper, aluminum and paper products. Because of the recent downturn in the economy, the price of those commodities has bottomed out, Polanchek said.

''Our paper and cardboard prices just fell to nothing. Cardboard is at $15 a ton, a whole semi-load is $300,'' he said.

Nationally, solid waste officials say recycling commodities markets have crashed in recent months along with the global economy.

Ken Kussy, the Dickinson Public Works manager for solid waste management, said he doubts the city would be able to take over cardboard recycling without subsidizing it.

''Economics wise, it's not feasible in rural areas to do this,'' Kussy said. ''Really, in most cases, if you find a successful program, I'll show you one that's subsidized.

''It's going to cost me more to bale it and recycle it then it is to put it in the landfill, when it's all said and done,'' Kussy said.

The city charges $29 per ton to dispose of commercial and residential waste and $12 per ton to dispose of inert waste such as cardboard, Kussy said. With disposal costs at $29, the recycling option is not attractive, he said.

Polanchek said the city should consider taking over the cardboard recycling because of the landfill space it will save in the long run.

''I don't think they (the city) are going to lose money. They're going to save money if they don't have to replace that amount of money with the landfill,'' Polanchek said.

Kussy said he has seen no broad-based support from the public if a subsidy is involved.

''It's unfortunate. I always maintain I would rather see the private sector doing this instead of the government,'' Kussy said. ''When it's cheaper to recycle cardboard, people are going to do it. Companies are going to do it.''