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Riverton Recycling Business Gains $50,000 State Grant

Posted on: Friday, 16 September 2005, 18:00 CDT

Rick Weekly, general manager of Affordable Shred in Riverton, has been awarded a $50,000 state grant to help him expand his recycling business.

Affordable Shred was among central Illinois businesses that this week received nearly $305,000 in Opportunity Return grants designed to promote environmentally friendly ways of growing the economy. In Weekly's case, the money was used to buy a larger, more secure truck.

"(The new truck) has allowed us to expand our pickup range from just the Springfield area to include surrounding communities all the way to Litchfield, Petersburg and Decatur," he said.

Affordable Shred has clients such as banks, medical facilities and attorneys, as well as private individuals. The company collects and shreds documents, and ultimately transports the shredded paper to a mill to be recycled.

"We offer people peace of mind, and allow them a safe and secure place to entrust their documents to make sure they are disposed of in the proper ways that comply with local laws," Weekly said.

Another $50,000 grant recipient is F&W Resources Inc. of Springfield, whose owners include Faye Weekly, Rick Weekly's mother. She said the money will be used to develop a 24-hour recycling drop- off site.

"There are a lot of places not covered by curbside recycling," Faye Weekly said. "Here in the city of Springfield you have trailer courts and apartment complexes that aren't served by curbside, and then there are people (outside the city) in the county who have no place to service their curbside stuff. It will give them a convenient place to drop off."

The 24-hour drop-off will be at F&W Resources' facility at 3327 Terminal Ave. It is expected to be up and running within the next few months.

The recycling grants are administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Also receiving state money are:

* The Lower Sangamon River Resource Conservation and Development Council, in cooperation with the city of Virginia, which received a $7,659 grant to develop a drop-off recycling site in Virginia. This project is expected to divert 490 tons of recyclables from being landfilled.

* Butler Distribution in Springfield, which received a $75,000 grant to expand and relocate its processing and recycling operations to set up a permanent collection site that will serve residents and businesses in central and southern Illinois.

* Computer Banc, a Springfield non-profit that works to provide computers to children who have a diagnosed learning challenge and come from homes with limited income. Computer Banc received $42,187 to establish a permanent site where donated computers and other associated electronic equipment can be collected, refurbished or otherwise recycled.

* BLH Computers Inc., also of Springfield, which was awarded $73,680 to expand and enhance its electronic-equipment collection and processing capabilities. In addition to upgrading its current structure to facilitate increased collection, de-manufacturing and refurbishing activities, BLH will offer a pickup service for customers generating significant volumes of electronic equipment for recycling.

* We Care Recycling, a not-for-profit organization in Carlinville, which received $6,295 to establish and operate a computer and electronics collection site at its main recycling facility.

Source: State Journal Register

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