In April of 2017 the solid waste management and recycling operations of the tribe were relocated from the LCO Transfer Station on Hwy NN to the Lac Courte Oreilles Recycling Center at 10085 N Round Lake School Road, Hayward, WI 54843. This is located behind the Lac Courte Oreilles Behavioral Health (formerly Woodcrafters) and accessible from Round Lake School Road.
The LCO Recycling Center functions both as a transfer station for refuse but also as a capture point of recyclable materials for the community.
Matthew Riedell took over as Recycling Center Manager at that time and works under the under the umbrella of LCO Public Works with Willard Gouge as Director.
Riedell said the LCO Recycling Center has replaced the LCO Transfer Station in order to be more accessible and offer more opportunity for the business to focus on responsible disposal of solid waste and principally recycling.
“One advantage of the move is that general refuse can be kept secure from wildlife and quickly transferred off-site, while maintaining a cleaner site,” Riedell said. “We’re currently in the process of properly disposing of all materials at the old transfer station on NN so that the site can potentially be remediated for an alternative use.”
The new facility is also in the process of becoming a single sort facility.
“This is where recyclables can be sorted by the material to be baled and processed for sale to manufacturers. An example of this is the baling of corrugated cardboard that will be sold to paper mills so that it can be reused,” Riedell said.
“The new facility and general operating practices are more cost-effective and ultimately will lead to an expanded business model that includes the sale of all recycled goods to be reused by manufacturers,” Riedell said. “Although the Recycling Center’s operating budget is higher than in the past, revenue has also drastically increased. Upcoming changes in operations and the procurement of additional equipment will allow the recycling center to eliminate some expenses while adding additional revenue to be more cost-effective.”
The recycling center is open to the general public for residential customers, but small commercial entities may discuss business options with them.
“Our main priority is to best serve the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, but we welcome all residents from the greater community,” Riedell said.
The Recycling Center accepts and disposes of a wide range of materials from residential customers. Some examples are electronics, appliances, tires, mixed recyclables, household-hazardous-waste (HHW), used oil, sharps (in safe containers), metal, and of course garbage. A complete list can be found on their Facebook page or by picking up one of their brochures. Brochures can be found at the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Government Office, LCO Recycling Center, LCO Public Works, LCO Housing Authority, and a number of other locations.
Pricing is subject to material and quantity which is best detailed in our pricing brochure, explained Riedell.
Garbage is priced according to bag size; $2.00 for a 13-gallon kitchen bag, $4.00 for medium (30-35 gallon) contractor bags, and $6.00 for large (36+ gallon) contractor bags.
“We also sell marked 32-gallon LCO bags that customers can pre-purchase for $3.00 each or bundles of ten for $25.00. Pre-purchasing these bags can be a great timesaver as well as a money saver for customers, as the bag holds up to three kitchen bags that normally would cost $6.00 total to dispose of,” Riedell said.
Recycling is always free to customers and we ask that office paper and corrugated cardboard be separated so that it can be recycled properly, Riedell said. “The more customers can separate their recyclables from their trash, the lower the cost will be for them and reduce the amount of reusable material from entering our area landfills. So, recycling isn’t just good for the environment, but it is easy on their budget. If a customer ever has a question about pricing they can contact us by phone at the office or via Facebook as well.”
The LCO Recycling Center currently has two full-time attendants. Bryan Sam is our lead attendant and Randy Gouge was hired this summer as an additional full-time attendant.
The LCO Recycling Center is currently open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Thursday through Saturday.
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Article by Joe Morey
