They have no weapons, no uniforms and no combat training. What kind of task force is this?It’s the Harnett County Recycling Task Force. Its mission is to fight pollution with a recycling solution. While county commissioners have not yet voted on an official proposal, they’ve scoped out Campbell University for a new recycling center, thanks to the help a Campbell Professor.”There’s a lot of support for this,” Professor Michael Larsen said at the Board of Commissioners meeting Monday, Feb. 11.”We have many young adults that work with the kids at Buies Creek Elementary, and those kids are well educated about recycling, but frustrated that there’s nowhere to recycle,” he said.After months of research, the task force presented a summary report of their findings to the board of commissioners Monday night. The force–which included Larsen and several commissioners–found that Harnett County has only 20 percent participation in its recycling programs; 60 percent less than neighboring counties.According to the report, Harnett County spends $3.7 million each year disposing of solid waste, a third of which comes from residential sources. If recycled, 40 percent of that waste could be put back into use, saving the county $300,000 on residential waste alone. If industrial and construction sources participated, savings could net nearly $1.5 million.”If something we’re sending to the landfill can be reused, for Heaven’s sake we need to keep it out,” said task force spokeswoman Sue Zislis.Zislis pointed out that not only would increased recycling save taxpayers money, but earn revenue as well, through the sale of recycled materials to progressive companies.”Recycled material is a commodity,” she said. “There’s a far greater demand for it than there is a supply.”Commissioners looked on with solemn faces as the force presented their findings. One member suggested that the key to improving recycling could be as simple as putting bigger containers at existing drop-off locations.”We’re working to put better receptacles at existing sites,” said force member Jerry Blanchard.”If residents aren’t recycling cardboard because they can’t break the boxes down, then you can’t get a whole lot done,” he said.As for the possibility of a recycling center at Campbell, Larsen said that chances are good.”The final spot has not been laid, but it will likely be a convenient area behind the post office,” he said.Commissioners plan to examine the group’s suggestions at future meetings.Larsen, who teaches biology and environmental science, has long been dedicated to recycling. Almost every day, he packs his modest Honda Civic to the roof with plastic bottles and aluminum cans, which he drops off at a Wake County recycling center on his commute home from work. If the task force has its way, this center may be one less stop in his dedication to conservation.- by Grey Winn (student writer)
Recycling task force takes aim at Campbell