Courier-Leader photo/Paul Garrod
PAW PAW – Paw Paw Township, along with the Van Buren Conservation District (VBCD) made some big changes with upgrades over the last year at the Paw Paw Waste and Recycling Center, 38016 W. Red Arrow Highway, Paw Paw.
Paw Paw Township and Van Buren Conservation District officials said the upgrades will bring residents a seamless experience for their recycling and waste needs.
“With this initiative, we look forward to a cleaner community. Not only are we doing a service to our people with the project, we are also doing a service for the land and water. Our items like paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, and even tires can be recycled and unsightly items like destroyed furniture can be taken care of properly rather than dumped into ditches and waterways,” said Kalli Marshall, Van Buren Conservation District’s Recycling and Material Management Coordinator.
“We thank the many folks who made this possible: our municipal partners, county commissioners, and grant providers for their hard work, funding, and support. Without this partnership, this project would not have been possible. The Van Buren Conservation District is proud to have been able to provide assistance to the community by applying and managing the grant and assisting the community through the project. Our efforts have created a true center – upgrades include pouring concrete pads for the recycling containers to sit on, as well as applying asphalt to the entire drive. The township updated all the buildings on site with new siding and roofing. Additionally, a new building was added to house an attendant to help with recycling cost recovery. A new fence was installed along with cameras for site security. To complete this project, all new wayfinding and educational signage was added,” said Marshall.
The waste and recycling center is now accepting tires from Paw Paw Township residents. Standard vehicle tires can be dropped off any day the transfer station is open. The tire drop off is in the north end of the transfer station across from brush drop off. Township officials will be marking it with signage eventually. Township residents are allowed to drop off four tires a day, when the transfer station is open. Tires from non-residents will also be accepted at a cost of $5 a tire, with a maximum of four tires a day. The Paw Paw Township Waste and Recycling Center is open to the public, Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Fridays, from 1 to 4 p.m. (April – September only) and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Recycling drop off is free to Paw Paw Township residents with a recycling pass. A fee schedule can be found at the station or at the municipal halls. Community members outside of Paw Paw Township can purchase an annual recycling pass for $50 a year.
Funding for this project was made possible through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Recycling Infrastructure Grant and The Recycling Partnership. Matching funds were provided by municipal partners and the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners.
