Taking good care of the planet is a strong passion of employees at Metro Recycling, which has made dropping off items for recycling easier than ever through a simple process that benefits businesses, the public and most importantly, the environment.
Both large and small items can be recycled at Metro Recycling. The drop off facility at the business’ Valparaiso location has a large truck scale that records the weight of the customer’s vehicle with the recycled items in it. The items are then dropped off in the appropriate material pile, the empty vehicle weight recorded and finally the customer is paid for their materials.
Anyone bringing items to Metro Recycling must have a valid driver’s license; sign a form stating the material presented is yours and the vehicle information, all of which are required by law.
Metro’s passion for the environment is evident in many aspects of the company. One example in particular is the removal of Freon from appliances containing the harmful chemical. Metro has 608 certified employees to safely remove Freon for their customers. This makes the drop off process for appliances much easier for their customers since they no longer have to remove Freon before bringing the material in.
“We wanted to ensure that the removal of Freon is taken care of in an environmentally friendly way. We also didn’t want our customers to have to be concerned about the removal process. Having 608 certified employees makes the entire process more convenient for our customers.” said LaRae Dykstra, marketing director for Metro Recycling.
“This is our smallest facility, but gains momentum daily,” Dykstra said of the Valparaiso location that has been in place at 2155 W. Lincolnway since 2010.
A buy-back building is also on location where Metro purchases smaller items. The list of acceptable items at the facility includes aluminum, brass, copper, scrap steel, plastic and others that can be found on the Metro Recycling website.
Each item has a different price. Metro pays either per pound or per ton depending on the material that is brought in. Customers may call the Valparaiso location at 219-465-1459 with specific questions on pricing.
In exciting news, Metro recently added new services. Metro recently purchased an additional buy-back center, roll-off dumpster containers and a transfer station in Lowell. This addition will allow both residential and commercial customers another Metro Recycling service.
“We’re incredibly excited to be able to offer our customers roll-off container services,” said Neil Samahon, CEO of Metro Recycling. “Our goal with this additional service is to provide customers with a container for both waste and recyclables and in turn divert as much material from landfills as possible.”
Customers have the ability to fill their roll-off containers with both waste and recyclable materials. Once the container is picked up, it is brought to the Lowell transfer station. The material is then sorted and the recyclables are pulled out.
The new buy-back center will open in 2015, which will be the fourth Metro Recycling facility in the Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana area. This new buy-back center will open up opportunities for community members to choose from another conveniently located facility.
Going above and beyond what the typical recycling facility would offer in terms of education, Metro offers tours to school groups and individuals. During a tour, a number of astonishing facts about recycling and just how important it is are shared. “We are truly passionate about educating the community on being environmentally friendly,” said Dykstra, “We feel the best way to encourage recycling is by showing individuals just how far beyond your blue bin recycling goes.”
“With the addition of a new facility, we’re excited to be able to offer these services to schools and families in Lowell and in the surrounding areas.” said Dykstra, “We’re passionate about education and know that know we can help make a great impact on students and community members.”
For more information on Metro Recycling, their new services or to schedule a tour, please visit www.wheredoirecycle.com.