JACKSON – Waste Industries is serious about recycling.

Mark Myers, the manager of the Weldon site of Waste Industries, reiterated that fact to the Northampton Board of Commissioners last week.

Myers appeared at the board’s regular monthly meeting to provide information about recycling and the plan that Waste Industries would put in place in the county.

&uot;We wanted to let you know where we stand on recycling and wanted to prove to Northampton County that we’re serious about recycling,&uot; Myers said.

The program introduced by Waste Industries calls for an every-other-week pickup of recyclable materials.

Myers said this was the first of a two-step process. The second part would be to educate the public about the opportunity to recycle.

He said the business would provide the new pickup, which gives Northampton County two addition pickup dates per year, at no additional cost to the county.

Commissioner Fannie P. Greene asked about the recycling bins.

&uot;I don’t see a lot of those bins around,&uot; Greene said. &uot;What would a person do if they do not have one?&uot;

Myers said any county resident who did not have a recycling bin or who needed additional ones because of the amount of recycling they did could simply call the Weldon office and bins would be delivered.

Greene also questioned if the entire county would be picked up on Monday’s.

Myers said, &uot;We will pick up recycling the same day as trash.&uot;

Commissioner James Hester asked if there was any provision in Northampton County to make recycling happen.

&uot;There is nothing to mandate recycling,&uot; County Manager Wayne Jenkins said. &uot;We encourage it.&uot;

Jenkins also said the county could take a look at the results of the community education program.

&uot;If we do a good job, we won’t have to,&uot; he said. &uot;But, if you want to keep it in the back of your minds, if they don’t do it, it may be something we can look at.&uot;

Greene said she felt educating the public was the key to a good recycling program.

According to the information provided by Waste Industries, there will be six classes of recyclables in the county. The include plastics, tin and bi-metal, corrugated cardboard, newspapers, aluminum and glass.

&uot;Waste Industries, Inc. will provide information for the education of the users of the Northampton County Recycling Program,&uot; the materials read. &uot;Our primary avenue for this process is the interaction between our Site Manager and the citizens of Northampton County. Our secondary avenue for this process is the availability and distribution of printed material.&uot;

The materials also insist the collection of recyclables not start before 6 a.m. or continue after 7 p.m. without mutual agreement by Waste Industries and Northampton County.