Employment Enterprises Inc. (EEI) will soon be able to complete an expansion of its glass recycling program after receiving support from the Morrison County Board of Commissioners.
The Board voted, 4-0, at its Nov. 23 meeting to provide $100,000 out of the county’s solid waste fund to EEI for completion of the project. The organization will be able to increase its glass recycling capacity from 70 tons to 500 tons per year.
EEI, formerly known as the Development Achievement Center (DAC), provides a quality work environment for disabled individuals. Executive Director Pam Baltes said the organization provides services to about 150 people from local communities.
“One of the ways they accommodate that is through recycling materials that are generated in our county and around our county,” said County Engineer Steve Backowski. “We have been in conversation — and the Board has had discussions — previously about a project that EEI has been working on in obtaining equipment and space to increase their capabilities of recycling glass.”
He said the organization’s management team has worked “very diligently” to obtain about two-thirds of the cost to complete the project, which supports the county’s solid waste management plan. Baltes, along with EEI Business Director Kathy Rutz and Employment Services Coordinator Mary Witucki, presented to the Board to request support to help the organization with the remainder of the necessary funding.
“The recycling opportunity gives us job training opportunities for (our clients) so that we can then move them on to community jobs,” Baltes said.
The project started when EEI applied for a grant through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). It ended up being awarded about $50,000 for the purpose of building equipment to expand its recycling program.
The first piece of equipment — which Baltes said they “lovingly” refer to as “Geraldine” — is in the warehouse at EEI getting tested and run through its paces. Once glass goes through the machine, it comes out in pebble-sized pieces of glass.
Baltes held up a small bag of glass that had been run through the machine to show the Board, as an example.
“This is all the beer that Morrison County drinks,” she said. “We get their bottles and recycle that.”
The next piece of equipment EEI needs, which is also grant funded, is a hammer mill. This takes those small, pebble-sized pieces of glass and grinds them into a sand. Finally, the last piece of equipment needed is a circular screener, which will sort the glass into different grades for sandblasting. Baltes said EEI already has a verbal commitment from Abrasive Blast Supply (ABS) in Little Falls to take all of the sand it produces.
She added that EEI is able to get rid of its glass for about $15 a ton and sand for about $200 a ton.
“We’re hoping this project will sustain itself long-term,” Baltes said.
Initially, she said EEI intended to carve out space from its existing warehouse to expand the program. However, as the project has gone on, it has become apparent that it will need to construct an addition to the warehouse to house the new equipment.
She also added that EEI has an agreement with the Todd County Transfer Station to take more of its glass to ensure it gets to 500 tons per year. The organization had to make a commitment to the MPCA that it would meet a 500 ton goal by the end of the third year of the grant — 2022.
“The pressure’s on,” Baltes said. “We’ve got a year left. It has taken this long to get the equipment built. Right now we have a contractor who’s doing the construction project — 20 weeks out to get the steel to put the building up. Now we’re into spring of our second year. God willing and the dollars come through, we will get that building built and get this thing up and running so that we can meet that goal by October of next year.”
Commissioner Mike LeMieur said one aspect of the project he liked was that it not only helped the 150 individuals who receive services at EEI, but it also benefits the county as a whole via its recycling program.
Backowski said Morrison County has a legislative mandate to reach a 35% goal of recycling solid waste within the county. In the past, it has been able to achieve that. However, he said it is becoming more of a struggle, in part because of the closure of IWCO. He said a lot of the materials recycled there counted toward that goal.
“Also, glass has been a very difficult item to dispose of here as prices have crashed for recyclable materials, which then has made it easier to dispose of it as solid waste and not as a recyclable,” Backowski said.
He added that the county has, for the most part, focused on residential recycling in terms of its solid waste management plan. He said adding this service through EEI will be a “major step” in promoting the program for businesses within the county — particularly bars and restaurants.
“It’s a heavy material,” Backowski said. “It adds up fast toward that 35% goal. It’s going to be very beneficial as we continue to try to make sure we meet that.”
LeMieur asked if residents will be able to drop off glass directly at EEI. Witucki said, currently, much of what the organization does in terms of glass is through commercial businesses. It works with Bob LeMieur Roll-offs, Refuse & Recycling to receive what it collects from local townships. It receives glass from Scandia Valley Township, as well.
She said EEI does not currently have a curbside dropoff, though she did not know what the future held for the program.
“The glass recycling at the landfill, that is a residential dropoff site where we have some control over that and working with EEI that they get those materials,” Backowski said. “Also, Bob LeMieur is moving into the (Little Falls) city recycling program, so there’s another effort there to pick that up.”
Commissioner Jeffrey Jelinski said he believed this was a step the Board could make to help the community.
“For our challenged community, what we’re talking about doing today is a win, win, win, over and over and over again,” Jelinski said. “Not for one individual, not for two, not for the city of Little Falls, but for our community. This is just a huge thing that we’re talking of doing. It’s a huge thing that EEI is doing.”
Commissioner Randy Winscher said he has experience with EEI dating back to the 1970s, when it was still DAC. He applauded the organization for the way it helps not only its clients, but also their parents and the entire community as a whole.
“Some of these employees, they’re very intense,” Winscher said. “They do a great job there. I think, again, this is something that will not only work for the community, but it’s also going to work as far as our landfill goes.”
