The Blanco County Recycling Center, located at 425 Jones Street in Blanco, has reopened after a week of closure due to the pandemic.
Recycling is considered an essential business, however, the center was temporarily closed to protect the employees on April 6. Operations are back to normal, but social distancing is strongly encouraged during this time.
The center has multiple bins for the different recyclables and each bin has a sign to help identify which item goes where. Because of the different containers, it is really easy for Blanco County residents to drop off their recyclables. Citizens park and empty all of their items into the proper bins. Paper, aluminum beverage cans, cardboard, glass, cooking and motor oils, steel cans, scrap metals and oil filters, are all accepted at this center. Plastic is not accepted at this time due to the lack of market. When the market conditions improve, plastic will be accepted again. Other items not accepted include automotive parts, garden hoses, PVC pipe, blue tarps, paint, and tires. There is a large red sign at the center that lists the items that can and cannot be recycled to help residents out.
Since the center is self-serve it remains open seven days a week, 24 hours a day. There are surveillance cameras monitoring the center at all hours.
Dumping is illegal. Paul Granberg, Blanco County Commissioner for Precinct 4, is the recycling coordinator. There are also two part-time employees who work at the center along with supplementary citizens with community service obligations. Hand sanitizer and extra caution is being used by all workers. The center is regulated by the county and $8,000 is budgeted for the total operating costs for the current fiscal year.
The Johnson City Transfer Station is owned and run by Waste Connections and not the county. It opened up to the public on May 4 with new safety measures in place. Masks or face coverings will be required and customers are not allowed in the building. Trash, recyclables, and construction debris are all accepted and cash, check, or credit cards can be used for payment.
The trash service will continue only picking up totes of trash; nothing outside of the tote including, trash bags, will be collected during the pandemic.
