Good news for anyone in the area who’s been saving up cardboard and cans with nowhere to take them: the City of Columbia is holding its second recycling drop-off event since an EF1 tornado destroyed the city’s Material Recovery Facility and closed the regular drop-off centers. The first event, held June 13, drew enough turnout that the city’s Solid Waste Utility is bringing it back.
When: Saturday, August 29, 8 a.m. to noon.
Where: The Grissum Building, 1313 Lakeview Avenue, Columbia.
Here’s what the city will take:
- Mixed containers — plastic bottles and containers marked #1 or #2 with the caps screwed on, aluminum cans, and metal food cans
- Mixed fibers — cardboard, newspaper, and office paper
- Glass bottles and jars — accepted only at this event, not through the city’s normal recycling stream
The city is asking residents to sort their recyclables by type before they arrive, though staff on site will help direct everyone to the right container. Traffic will run one way through the lot: enter from the east on Lakeview Avenue and turn right in, then turn right again onto Lakeview when you leave. No left turns in or out, so plan your route accordingly if you’re coming from the west side of town.
A full rundown of what’s accepted and what isn’t is posted on the city’s BeHeard website ahead of the event.
It’s a small thing, but for a city that’s been without a working recycling drop-off system since the tornado, getting a second one of these events on the calendar is a real sign the program is finding its footing again.