Future of local can, bottle recycling program in question

(Above) A large dumpster from Absolute Waste has replaced the usual collection bins for cans and bottles at the Clear Lake Fareway Store. The Chamber of Commerce and One Vision will continue to collect cans through RAGBRAI this Tuesday, July 25.  Beyond that date, another plan is being investigated to take care of the can and bottle recycling in Clear Lake.

Village pulls out; Chamber fireworks fund facing loss in revenue

by Alli Weaver

Clear Lake residents and visitors have been using the can and bottle recycling centers provided by Opportunity Village and the Chamber of Commerce for upwards of 20 years. Now, it seems that they will need to find another way to take care of their beverage containers.

In previous years, the funds collected by the project have been split between Opportunity Village and the Chamber of Commerce Fireworks Fund. However, Opportunity Village, now called One Vision, lost money on the task last year, according to Tim Coffey, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.

He explained, the same deposit fee of 5 cents has been around since the 1970s.  Initially it was enough to cover the costs of labor, but now it isn’t sufficient.

“It also takes a lot of time and is a messy type of work to do,” Coffey said.

Therefore, One Vision has made the decision to discontinue their involvement in the program, and reassigned the recycling staff to other positions.

The Chamber of Commerce and One Vision will continue to collect cans through RAGBRAI this Tuesday, July 25.  Beyond that date, another plan is being investigated to take care of the can and bottle recycling in Clear Lake.

“I spent a good part of June calling recyclers around the state.  Some are closing for similar reasons that Opportunity Village wanted to get out,” Coffey said.

The local Fareway Store collects cans and bottles, and with the discontinuance of this program, Manager Rod Bernard fears that the surplus of beverage containers may prove to be an issue.

“When they quit redeeming them, it’ll be huge.  Thousands and thousands of cans will need to be sorted and stored,” Bernard said.

With limited numbers of staffers and hours, taking up the slack could prove to