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Highlands Today

Where To Recycle In Avon Park

Laura Nesbitt, Highlands Today

Sherita Baggett breaks down televisions, computer keyboards and microwaves for the Highlands County Recycling Department on Tuesday.

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By LAURA NESBITT

Highlands Today

Published: March 5, 2009

AVON PARK - Dennis Keppel was recycling his cardboard at the county recycling bins adjacent to the Durrah Martin Sports Complex in Avon Park Tuesday, although it took him a while to figure out where the bins were.

It just so happened that he saw the sports complex lights from the Winn-Dixie parking lot and knew where he had to go, he said.

The recycling site, located at the intersection of West Hall Street and South Self Avenue, is now doubling up for the Museum Avenue location when recycling bins had to be moved because of road construction.

For many residents like Keppel, confused about the new location of the recycling bins, there is help available.

Signs are going up to direct residents to the West Hall Street location.

Wearing a bright orange vest, Highlands County lead technician Ross Anderson sprayed pink paint on the grass beside US 27 Tuesday.

Anderson and Christy Reed, county recycling program manager, marked locations in Avon Park where signs from relocated bins would be moved and new ones installed.

The county has also moved its recycling location near the Big Lots store on US 27, leaving the city with one site to recycle in addition to Nautilus Drive in Avon Park Lakes.

"The reason we get calls about the Avon Park recycling bins is because they're doing a renovation project (on Main Street) so we had to relocate the bins," Reed said.

"We're marking four signs today - two for relocation and two new signs."

According to Reed, the county had a difficult time finding a location for the sign on U.S. 27, which is why the signs weren't put up before.

The Main Street recycling bins were moved several months ago, said Ed Behal. Behal was recycling at Avon Park Lakes' Nautilus Drive Wednesday.

Several other people were recycling at the Durrah Martin Sports Complex, who all said they hadn't been able to find another recycling location until contacting county and chamber officials.

"It was handier on Main Street," said Norma Schumacher, a part-time Avon Park resident who also lives in New York.

George and Ruth Jenkins said they had to collect their recycling until they found the bins.

"Wherever it is, we'll go," Ruth Jenkins said.

DROP-OFF LOCATIONS

Recycling drop-off locations accessible to all county residents are the following:

Sebring:

Desoto Square Mall, 3250 US 27 N.

Max Long Recreation Field, Hammock Road

Lakeshore Mall, 901 US 27 S.

Sebring Square Mall, 3550 US 27 N.

Spring Lake Village I, 209 Spring Lake Blvd.

Sun 'N Lakes, 5306 Sun 'N Lakes Blvd.

Avon Park:

Avon Park Lakes, Nautilus Drive

Durrah Martin Sports Complex, 1301 West Bell St.

Lorida:

Lorida Community Center, 1909 Oak Ave.

Lake Placid:

Sweetbay, 1519 US 27 N.

Leisure Lakes Volunteer Fire Dept., 1231 Lake Josephine Drive.

Publix, 350 US 27 N.

Placid Lakes, 2000 N. Jefferson Ave.

Recycling Facts

According to Reed, the annual budget for the county recycling program which has been in operation since 1990 "usually runs around $400,000." For the first five months of FY 2008-09 the program brought in $51,503.53 in revenue. The total tonnage processed was 1,359.73.

"The most important sources of revenue are tipping fees," Reed said.

The other two revenue sources for the county include the sale of recycling materials and a lease to a rancher to graze his cattle on a portion of the new county landfill on Arbuckle Creek Road.

The county recycles plastic bottles, newspaper, cardboard, magazines, steel cans, aluminum cans, office paper, junk mail and shredded paper.

For more information contact the county recycling program at 655-6400.

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