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Library's Recycling Program Pays Off

Posted on: Monday, 13 February 2006, 12:00 CST

By EMILY PRIDDY World Staff Writer

Jackie Hill and Mike Hixon know how to turn scrap paper into newspapers, tables, pizza and monkeys.

Tulsa City-County Library System supporters raise about $4,000 a year through the library's recycling program, said Hill, who heads up the Recycling Proceeds Fund.

Seventeen of the library system's 25 facilities have big green- and-yellow recycling bins in their parking lots, Hill said.

Patrons and library employees leave scrap paper in the bins for Abitibi Recycling to collect.

Abitibi buys the recyclable material from the library system.

The money goes into a special fund administered by the library staff association.

"Not only does the library recycle things, but customers, when they come to the library, they bring their recycling," Hill said. "Since it is truly a community effort, we thought the proceeds should benefit the community."

This month, three libraries are using some of the money from the recycling fund to pay for a special program featuring Curious George, the mischievous monkey who stars in a series of popular children's books.

Funds from the recycling program also have been used to pay for equipment, such as tables and carts, and special events, such as a pizza party where adults in the library's literacy program studied the ballots for the 2004 presidential election and learned how to fill them out.

In addition to supporting the library, patrons who recycle their newspapers are saving trees, said Mike Hixon, area manager for Abitibi.

"For every ton of paper that's recycled, 17 trees are not harvested for making that same amount of paper," he said.

In December, library patrons recycled 50 tons of paper, saving 850 trees, Hixon said.

Hixon said that for every 100 pounds of recyclable paper Abitibi receives, the company can produce about 85 pounds of new paper.

Abitibi can recycle newspapers, magazines, office and school papers, shopping catalogs and mail, Hixon said.

Abitibi does not recycle plastic, glass or metal.

"We are a newsprint company," Hixon said. "We produce the paper. We make it from recycled paper. We collect the paper locally, we'll send it back to one of our paper mills, they make it back into reams of new newsprint. It goes back to ... newspapers again, and they print the newspaper, and hopefully it gets recycled again and again."

In the Tulsa area, Abitibi -- which has bins at schools, churches and other locations -- recycles more than 6,000 tons of paper a year, Hixon said.

He said private businesses can host recycling bins for their customers' convenience, as long as the proceeds are given to a nonprofit organization.

The South Broken Arrow Library, 3600 S. Chestnut Ave., usually collects more recyclable materials than any other library in the system. Hixon said.

"The more papers recycled, the more we pay," he said. "The maximum we pay is $15 per ton, and this library hits that every month."

In addition to being paid at a higher rate for its recyclables, the library can earn extra money through competitions, Hixon said.

Last year, the South Broken Arrow Library took second place in Abitibi's recycling contest, earning a cash prize that was used to buy a table and a cart.

The next contest will be in March and April.

Hill said anyone can help the libraries compete by adding recyclable materials to the bins.

"Anyone can drop off their recycling. That's what they're there for," Hill said.

RECYCLING PROGRAM

The Tulsa City-County LibrarySystem has recycling bins at thefollowing locations:

Tulsa

Central Library, Fourth Streetand Denver Avenue

Hale Library, 6038 E. 23rd St.Hardesty Regional Library, 8316E. 93rd St.

Helmerich Library, 5131 E. 91stSt.

Martin Regional Library, 2601 S.Garnett Road

Maxwell Park Library, 1313 N.Canton Ave.

Rudisill Regional Library, 1520N. Hartford Ave.

Schusterman-Benson Library,3333 E. 32nd Place

Zarrow Regional Library, 2224W. 51st St.

Sand Springs

Charles Page Library, 551 E.Fourth St.

Pratt Library, 3219 S. 113thWest Ave.

Skiatook

Skiatook Library, 316 E. RogersBlvd.

Sperry

Sperry Library, 15 E. Main St.Nonprofit groups interested inparticipating in Abitibis recyclingprogram should call 246-9100.

Source: Tulsa World

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