Dodge County Renovation Reuse now collecting plastics
STAFF PHOTO BY WAYNE HENDRICKSON
The Dodge County Reuse Center in Kasson.
The Dodge County Renovation Reuse is now recycling clean, dry and certain stretchable plastics.
The Reuse Center opened in November 2023, and has saved 44 tons of household items and other material from going into landfills and waste-to-energy.
The Reuse Center is located on 16th St NW in Kasson, just west of the North Kwik Trip. Much more activity has occurred since this street was finished last November.
The building interior has now been insulated, and heating and cooling are now in place. When the city street in front has the final coat in place and the landscaping has been completed, the parking lot will be expanded with the material from the previous gravel road.
Dodge County bought a baler to bale plastic, plus a forklift to lift plastic bales and other heavier items at the store when needed.
The KM Lions worked with local nonprofit organizations collecting this same type of plastic for the past three years. When they had collected the required amount of plastic, Trex was contacted and a heavy outdoor bench was delivered. These Trex benches are located across many locations in Kasson and Mantorville. Early this year, Lions club members approached the Dodge County Environmental Services Dept to take over this program from the Lions Club.
You can instead bring your plastic to the Reuse Center and they will handle it. When they have collected 20,000 pounds, the Reuse Center will contact Trex and they will send a truck to pick up the bales of plastic. The Renovation Reuse will be paid 14 cents/pound when the load is delivered to Trex. The funds will go back into the Renovation Reuse to keep it sustainable and here for the community.
The types of plastic that are collected must be clean, dry, empty and free of food residue. That includes store grocery bags, ice bags, bread bags, cereal box liners. plastic e-commerce mailers, dry cleaning bags, shrink wrap and bubble wrap.
They will not accept items such as plastic milk jugs, plastic gloves or protective wear, pet food, grocery mesh produce, frozen food, vinyl shower curtains, boat wrap, pool covers or ice rink liners, landscape or hay bale plastic, bedding or linen packaging, pre-washed salad mix or meat wrap.
If the package stretches when you pull on it, it will be acceptable, but if it tears like paper, it will not. If the package is shiny or makes a crunchy sound when handling, it will not be accepted.
The Reuse Center drop off and sale hours are Mondays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.;
Wednesdays, noon to 4:30 p.m.; Saturdays (the 2nd and 4th each month) 8 a.m. to noon. There is a $5 drop-off charge when the center is open, and free drop-off on Wednesdays.
Rita Cole is the Dodge County Waste Management Administrator; there is a part-time staff member and other environmental service staff that will help out as needed.
The Renovation Reuse is looking for volunteers that would like to help at the center; contact Rita at 507-635-6273 or rita.cole@dodgecountymn.gov for more information. The Reuse Center phone number is 507-634-6533.
STAFF PHOTO BY WAYNE HENDRICKSON
Rita Cole, the Dodge County Waste Management administrator, standing by the baling machine used for baling plastic.