Cities to get new truck for recycling

HOUGHTON– The ink is barely dry on the contracts between Waste Management and the cities of Houghton and Hancock, but the company is already bringing in help with the heavy lifting.

It’s a new Split–Body Rear Load Combination Trash–Recycling Truck.

Waste Management Site Manager Scott Reed said, “We can actually pick up recycling and trash at the same time because it has two separate compartments. Our other trucks are built just for trash and they only have one compartment, so we can only do one line of business at a time, we can’t mix the two.”

The truck costs $325,000 and will be used to make pickups two days a week in Houghton and two in Hancock.

Hancock has been doing curbside recycling for years but it’s starting to catch on in Houghton. With each pickup the amount of recyclables has grown.

Houghton City Manager Eric Waara said, “Hopefully, seeing the truck, seeing it out there, seeing their neighbors, certainly, participating in the program will help spur other people on to participate as well.”

For those not in the pickup area, recyclables can still be brought to the Waste Management site in Houghton at a cost of $4.00 per car load.