Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support the IDS in College Media Madness! Donate here March 24 - April 8.
Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

City recycling center scheduled to close

The City of Bloomington and the Downtown Bloomington Recycling Center have announced the facility at 489 W. 10th St. will cease operations by the end of November, according to a City of Bloomington press release.

The Downtown Bloomington Recycling Center opened in 2011 and has been operated by Chad Roeder, the founder of Bloomington Pedal Power, ever since.

Chad, along with many volunteers and interns, has operated the facility as a public recycling drop-off site on land owned by the City of Bloomington located in a parking area behind the Showers Building, according to the release.

With the impending development of the Trades District and the growth in tenants in and around the Certified Technology Park, the decision to close was made knowing that this location will have increased pressure in the immediate months and years, according to the release.

The Downtown Bloomington Recycling Center was originally planned as a privately-operated pilot project in a temporary location.

“Chad’s dedication to the environment and to recycling is truly admirable,” Mayor John Hamilton said in the release. “Two hundred tons of recyclable materials have stayed out of landfill as a direct result of these efforts. Our community owes Chad and the volunteer workers and interns our gratitude.”

Public Works Director Adam Wason said he wouldn’t rule out a downtown recycling center resurfacing sometime in the future, provided the right location and business model could be identified, according to the release.

“With development comes change, and as the Trades District gets ready for construction, we have to discontinue this location as a recycling center,” Wason said.

Roeder said he was honored to have been part of such an undertaking, when discussing the impending closure.

“Although we cannot relocate the facility without incurring unmanageable costs, it is my hope that something positive may come from this, and that the efforts of the numerous volunteers, interns and community members who helped make it a reality will be remembered,” Roeder said in the release.

Those individuals and businesses who have used the downtown center are encouraged to utilize the city’s curbside collection system or take their recyclable materials to one of the five Monroe County Solid Waste Management District’s Recycling Centers throughout the county, according to the release.

Addresses and hours for those recycling centers can be found at 
gogreendistrict.com.

Get stories like this in your inbox
Subscribe