Clinton County was recently among the counties funded with a recycling grant from the Division of Waste Management through the 2015-16 Kentucky Pride Funding Recycling Grant and although the 75/25 matching grant may not be a large money-maker for the county, or one that will provide any added employment, Clinton County Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong sees potential in the future for some positive outcomes if and when a recycling program in the county gets up and running.

The grant to the Clinton County Fiscal Court, signed May 20, will see 75 percent of the equipment needed to implement the recycling program paid for with the grant itself and 25 percent by the county–which will come in the form of a building and labor.

The grant totals $135,781.96, which will cover equipment costs associated with the recycling program.

Judge Armstrong supplied a list of equipment that the state would supply and items can be added on in future years and is a renewable grant. Currently, he noted, several area counties have recycling programs, including a very successful one in neighboring Wayne County.

Judge Armstrong supplied the NEWS with a list of equipment and associated cost of each, supplied for with the grant, including a John Deere skid steer; four pro-gravity recycle trailers; two Marathon vertical balers; a Yale forklift; a John Deere scrap grapple; a John Deere Pro-48 inch rail pallet fork; a 6,600 lb. pallet jack; a pro-mesh trailer and 20 Otto Millennium 95 gallon roll-out cars.

Armstrong said he wanted to encourage local residents to recycle products and urged them to take the time to separate and deposit the items in the various trailers (or bins) that will be set up at various locations. Once the program is in place and recycling begins, items should be separated, such as aluminum cans, tin cans, paper, and plastic bottles.

“We do not want trash,” the judge stressed. “It is not a dump, but a recycling center.”

Armstrong said the recycling grant was a popular one going around now and many surrounding counties have received such funding and have recycling programs already in place.

The program will not hire any employees to operate it, but rather use existing labor, primarily jail inmates, persons sentenced to community service work and in some cases, county employees if available. The old county garage, which is now being used for storage, will be the primary recycling center location once funding is received and a program is implemented.

Armstrong said the county would work closely with the (district and circuit) court system and Clinton County Jail officials to find inmates and community service workers to supply most of the required labor.

“This is not a money-making project,” the judge said. “We want to keep the county clean and people from being wasteful,” he added.

“We would ask that people separate their items at home and bring them to the trailers that will be set up and place them in the proper bin for each item, i.e., paper, plastic, aluminum or tin cans,” he continued.

The judge said currently the recycle products from the bins set up in the city, schools and other locations are being hauled to Wayne County and hauled back to Clinton County, with no local financial benefit. He said companies buy recycle products after they are weighed.

Although there is not a lot of revenue in the recycled product, it may be of some financial benefit.

“It’s a good thing but people can’t abuse it,” Armstrong said, again reiterating that the recycle trailers are not for household trash, furniture or any items not recyclable. Although there are no specific penalties for misuse of the recycle trailers, there could be once the program actually begins.