Millbrook Goes Green

STORY BY AMY PASSARETTI PHOTO BY BRITTANY SMITH

Recycling may not be a fresh concept, but Millbrook is embracing residents’ latest passion for it and expanding its program to create a greener community. With that comes increased quality of life and a cleaner future.

“The City of Millbrook has had a recycling program for about 15 to 18 years with a center on Grandview Road,” Millbrook economic development director Ann Harper said. “It’s a self-drop operation. We haven’t yet evolved into a door-to-door pickup, but we at least offer a nice place where people can come and drop off recyclable items.”

With increased use of the center, the city of Millbrook applied for and received a grant early in 2020 from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. This grant allowed the city to expand its recycling program and encourage more people to take advantage of its offerings.

“We asked for two things,” Harper said. “We needed to purchase what we call a dump trailer, a trailer that tilts up and one you can tow to collect recyclables from different places. This way we can transport our recyclables more easily.”

The other factor of the grant will allow for the purchase of additional receptacles for high-use areas, such as parks and fields.

“We’re going to place recycle receptables in all our parks, the golf course, any other public places we can think of to draw attention to our recycle center,” Harper said.

The grant will cover the cost of 15 of these cans, and the city will pair the installation of them with an educational campaign to increase awareness for residents.

“I’m just amazed how frequently the center is used,” Harper said. “Recycling is definitely something people in our community are doing.”

The advantages of recycling are endless and include reducing the solid waste footprint, cleaning up the community and making people more aware of their environment. Harper said city leadership has been supportive of increasing the recycling program to ensure Elmore County leads to a clean future.

“A lot more people recycle than what I would have imagined a year ago,” Mayor Al Kelley said. “When the program went down for a little while, we realized how many people really wanted it, so we pursued the grant. It’s a pretty detailed operation we’ve got.”

Harper and Kelley feel this grant will also help ramp up the positive message about the importance of recycling.

“It’s not only good for our environment but cleans up our city, too,” Harper said. “We hope by putting out these added receptacles and educating the general public about the advantages, people will think twice before leaving a water bottle in the back of a truck for it to get blown out.”

Several events, such as the Mardi Gras Festival at Village Green Park and Arbor Day have acted as the launchpad for the new recycling campaign. Harper asked ADEM to bring its recycling trailer on site and offer educational information to the community.

“The city staff will join forces with the state staff to promote recycling, and we can use this opportunity to talk about Millbrook’s recycling program, where it is and what items are accepted,” Harper said.

As awareness continues to increase about recycling, the hope is that more residents will jump on board.

“Once you go once, you see how great it is and how many others are using the system,” Harper said. “It makes you feel better to contribute to the cleanliness of the environment.”