On Monday, the first satellite site will be operational in Worthington at the Sonshine Shop.

Erek Wilson, who is serving as the interim supervisor of the Greene County Solid Waste Management District, announced that several covered recycling totes will be placed outside the back entrance to the Sonshine Shop to collect items.

He stressed that virtually any item that is now accepted at the Recycling Center near Switz City will also be accepted at the new satellite location.

Wilson said this is the first in what he hopes to be more satellite drop off spots around the county to make recycling more accessible and convenient to residents.

The Sonshine Shop is located at 14 N. Washington St, just north of the Triangle area in downtown Worthington.

Wilson said he was approached by Sonshine Shop director Kay Toon about taking some of the clothing items that the re-sale store was not able to sell.

The two got to talking and the idea of the community drop-off center was worked out.

"We're going to basically accept all of the materials that we accept at this facility (at the Recycle Center) only it will be in Worthington. It will be everything -- cans, cardboard, paper and plastic. You can access it from the back alley," he said, "Hopefully this will deter illegal dumpers -- people who are trying to get rid of their trash for free."

Wilson stressed that the recycle totes are located outdoors and can be accessed around the clock -- seven days a week.

He asked that the lids be placed back on after the items are deposited and also requested that no bagged trash items be dumped in the recycling totes.

Also starting in the very near future will be a mobile recycling trailer that can be moved to various locations of the county to pick up recyclable items.

On Tuesday, the Greene County Solid Waste Management District Board authorized Wilson to order a mobile compartment trailer with the capacity to hold 12 cubic yards of recycled material. There will be four 2-cubic yard bins for cans, bottles, and paper goods and one 4-yard bin for corrugated cardboard.

"It has little flapper-type doors on the sides. We'll have stickers placed on each bin showing what materials goes where. We will be basically collecting everything that we collect here (at the Recycling Center) except for the clothing and the Swap Shop items. We're going have a bin for the cardboard. We are going to have a bin for the plastics and we'll have designated bins for the papers."

Wilson said he'll work out a schedule for the trailer to be moved to a specific location for a designated time where a staff member can be present to oversee the depositing of the recycled items. The drop off schedule will be publicized in the Greene County Daily World and The Shopper.

The trailer, which costs $11,500, has been ordered and Wilson expects delivery in a matter of weeks.

"I'm thinking it will be best if we do it a few hours here and there with this trailer and get people used to it," he said.

The Solid Waste District tried the mobile trailer drop-offs in the past, but with a different type door that would accept all kinds of items -- including trash bags and some small appliances -- and it became an unsuccessful venture.

Wilson said the design of the trailer he has ordered will curtail that kind of potential abuse.

"The doors on the bins that were formerly used were so big that you could put two trash bags at once in them. With the new trailer, everything has to be hand-fed. There is no way you could squeeze a trash bag full in them, so I really don't see people abusing it -- especially if it's in a highly visible area," he stated.

Early in 2009, Wilson hopes to purchase a second trailer to supplement the recycling opportunities. He has already received permission from officials at the Linton Super Wal-Mart Center to place a trailer on its lot to serve as a more permanent satellite recycling drop off spot.

Wilson also pointed out that he would like to foster a more visible public presence for the Solid Waste District and the Recycling Center and he feels the recycle trailer will help in that effort.

The trailer could be included in area parades -- to increase name recognition for the Recycling Center and could also be parked at a festival or an area school function to serve as an on-site pickup spot for recyclable items like plastic bottles and paper.

"Any highly visible area is what I'm looking for," he said.

Wilson also hopes sometime in the future to get involved in curbside pick-up of recycling items.

"Curbside is something I'd like to see happen down the road. To do it, there is a lot of money that would need to be invested -- not only with the bins that we would need to give out to allow people to have their material sorted and set on the curb. You would need a big truck to pick up that material and you would need another staff member to run that route," he explained. "To do a curbside program we would need a bigger baler. ... If we had more capital for that kind of an investment, I think the materials collected alone would offset the money we would be spending."

Wilson added, "I think this mobile pick up is kind of the first step in that direction now. It's a baby step, but it is a step toward the future."