Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 12, 1990                   TAG: 9004120438
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

PLASTICS RECYCLING TO EXPAND/ CYCLE SYSTEMS INVESTS $100,000 IN OPERATION

Cycle Systems has invested $100,000 in the plastics recycling operation that will be located on the old Roanoke Iron and Bridge Works property near the Walnut Avenue bridge.

Bruce Brenner, president of Cycle Systems, said Wednesday that his company has a market for the plastics and hopes to start the recycling operation by summer.

The plastic waste products will be ground into small granules that can be sold, Brenner said, but he wouldn't say who will buy the recycled material.

Initially, the plant will recycle 100,000 pounds of plastic a month, Brenner told the Roanoke Valley Regional Solid Waste Management Board.

Cycle Systems is now baling and storing plastic material that it receives at its recycling center on Broadway Avenue Southwest, he said. The plant will separate plastics from trash that includes other recyclable materials.

Many recycling programs don't include plastics because some localities have found it difficult to sell the plastics.

Brenner said the plastics recycling operations could be coordinated with curbside recycling programs by Roanoke Valley localities for aluminium, paper and glass. Roanoke County started a pilot recycling project several years ago; Roanoke and Vinton will begin recycling programs soon.

The recycling of plastics also may help encourage expansion of a pilot recycling project that includes drop-off boxes at two Kroger grocery stores in the valley, he said.

Since the project began two months ago, the volume of recyclable materials deposited in the boxes has far exceeded the original estimate, he said.

Cycle Systems had planned only six pickups each month - a total of 12 - at the Kroger stores in the Cave Spring Corners and Lake Drive shopping centers. But Brenner said the company made 24 pickups in February and 42 in March.

"This has been much better than we had expected. We didn't expect this kind of results," he told the board.

Kroger is interested in expanding the pilot project, he said. The board and the Clean Valley Council also are participating.

Brenner asked the board to consider expansion and to develop a budget for it for the next fiscal year. The board referred his request to Jeff Cromer, the landfill manager, and asked him for a recommendation.