Leo Zuber praised the changes that are taking place at the recycling center in Ripon.
“People who have been showing up will see things are different,” said the elected leader at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Council, on behalf of the City of Ripon, along with the Parent Faculty Clubs of the Ripon Unified School District recently made possible the new cardboard compactor at the facility located in the old Nestlé’s parking lot on Industrial Avenue.
“The capacity will go up not just for cardboard but for other recyclables,” Zuber added.
The recycling center has an operating agreement with the City, RUSD and the PFCs that started years ago.
According to City Administrator Kevin Werner, this endeavor has been an extremely successful program.
This past year, for example, the program diverted 532 tons of cardboard, old newspapers, mixed paper, glass, plastic, Styrofoam products, and CRV cans and bottle, he noted.
The PFCs from the five RUSD school sites – Weston, Ripona, Park View, Colony Oak and Ripon Elementary – have greatly benefited, raising anywhere from $50,000 to $60,000 from recyclable materials each year, in turn, making possible some of the school programs.
The City of Ripon will pay its share for the compactor out of the Garbage Enterprise Capital account.
Cost for the new equipment in the recycling center is about $52,000.
RUSD and the PFCs, in addition, paid for half of that while the City forked out for the remaining balance.