New recycling center opens in Madison

MADISON -- Madison officially opened its new recycling center on Wednesday. 

"You could reduce, reuse, and recycle," said Tara Seeper, a ten-year-old who showed up to support the cause. 

The city used to have a recycling company in town, which left after residents misused it, city officials said.

"We had a lot of requests for it," said Al Brandl, mayor of Madison. 

Brandl grew up Madison, and he said he sees a lot of opportunities here.

Three to four people were calling the mayor per week, he said, asking what they could do with their plastics now. The Madison City Council then voted unanimously to make their own, led by Janell Torres, an experienced project manager in town. She attended recycling conferences to learn about the importance of the green project.

"It's important to make recycling a habit," Torres said. 

She helped secure $50,000 in grants for the trailer and pavement. The Nebraska Department of Wind and Energy funded the pavement, while the trailer was funded by the Nebraska Recycling Council and the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

"And they have a custom build on the inside so when you go to dump the trailer each one [type] will drop separately," Torres said. 

City officials said they plan to add some signage, painting, and lighting still.

"In the end, Madison just wants something that's sustainable for our community," said Torres. 

If it's not used correctly, city officials said they will be forced to set aside hours to manage and properly maintain the facility.