Recycling Center will open bins Sept. 12

Long-awaited facility to start crunching on Viking Way.

“POULSBO – The wait will be over for North Kitsap residents next week as Kitsap County, Poulsbo and Bainbridge Recycling open the bins for business at the brand new recycling center on Viking Avenue. The recently constructed facility, located at the northeast corner of Viking Way and Highway 305, ends a long-standing effort by both the city and County to find a suitable site to suit the region’s huge recycling needs. In the past year, the area has gone through two centers, one which closed on Little Valley Road and another interim facility at the Kitsap County Road Maintenance Shop on Bernt Road. The Little Valley site housed the center for a number of years before it was sold for development purposes. The sale of the land initially worried recycling minded residents, who were concerned that they would have to take their goods as far as Bainbridge Island, Hansville or Silverdale to be processed. With over 52,000 annual visitors and some 2,000 tons of recyclables going through the Poulsbo Recycling Center, other centers in the area feared overload as well until the county stepped forward and offered the interim site. Nonetheless, Gretchen Olsen, solid waste director for Kitsap County, said finally having a definite location for the facility was a tremendous relief. It’s been over a year that we have been looking for a good location, Olsen explained. I think so we always knew it was temporary (at the Little Valley) property, so now all we have to do is make sure it’s up and running and that we’re meeting people’s needs. Olsen had no illusions about North Kitsap’s needs either. There are thousands and thousands of people who use it every month, she remarked. The county, city and Bainbridge Island Disposal recently entered into a three-way agreement to provide service at the location. The good thing is that the new site is going to be a lot roomier than the one we had on Little Valley, Olsen explained, noting that if additional uses were added at the site the county would have to go back to the city for permit authority. We’re just really looking forward to it, said said. We’re open for business. Olsen wasn’t the only one excited about finally having the facility. Dave Peters, county recycling coordinator, could hardly contain his joy about the grand opening. Yippee, he said. It has been a long time coming – we’re excited. Household batteries, glass, aluminum, tin cans, plastic pop bottles, plastic milk jugs, newspaper, subscription magazines, corrugated cardboard, scrap metal, appliances, car batteries and motor oil will all be accepted at the site. Additionally, the Poulsbo drop-box station will also continue to accept mixed paper, including mail, magazines, catalogs, phone books, computer paper, photocopy paper, letterhead, file cards and file folders. The center officially opens Sept. 12 with a special ceremony at 9 a.m. and will operate Tuesdays through Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. “

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