WM cans city’s paint recycling program

WM cans city’s paint recycling program

Public Works Commission suspends effort after pick- ups stop

news@theeveningtimes.com

With rusty buckets of latex paint mounding up in the back lot at West Memphis City Hall, the Public Works Commission halted the recycling collection. At the April meeting Commissioners saw the photos of the pile of pails and heard hassles about having it hauled away. The paint collection program rolled out smooth as satin in October.

But the recycle cycle broke as Greenway Recycle Paints has not picked up the pallet this year.

The county suspended the paint collection north of the court house too. The company based in Heber Springs had touted that it would collect the old paints and blend them, enhance the color and market it as an economical recycled product. But regular pickups haven’t happened, so the commission joined the county kicking the can collection to the curb.

“We are having an issue with them picking it up,” said Public Works Administrative Assistant Rhonda Standridge. “I’ve been trying to call them since the first of February. We

Photo by John Rech

touched base with the county to see if they were getting service there and they have terminated the program.”

“We’ve got a real problem on our hands,” said City Engineer Phillip Sorrell. “It looks like a junk pile out there right now. It looks like we are not going to get any service out of these people so our recommendation since the county has ended the program that we end the program.”

The commission moved to terminate the latex recycling and change the signs at the collection point to make sure everyone gets the message.

“We’ve talked to the sign shop about replacement signs,” added Sorrell.

With the paint going out of sight at City Hall, handling leftovers is not out of mind. Stopping the collection doesn’t whitewash the challenges citizens face. The responsibility for old paint rests on residents. Paint is not accepted on the garbage truck or at the landfill because its toxic elements seep contaminating ground water.

For now an ounce of prevention prevents a left over gallon. The best tip for homeowners handling paint starts with thinking ahead when purchasing it. Calculate the surface area of the project and buy the right amount of paint. Coverage charts are available on the Internet and a good paint retailer can help you figure out the right amount. A good paint store keeps the color blend on file should you ever need more to touch it up.

By John Rech