Elkhorn Sanitation aims to bring recycling to area

Patti Jo Peterson

Managing editor

While the city of Plattsmouth may be between a rock and a hard place when it comes to recycling due to budgetary concerns, its citizens aren’t.

City administrator Erv Portis suggests recycling enthusiasts contact Elkhorn Sanitation Systems, which works with the RecycleBank.

“For $10 a month, RecycleBank gives you an 80-gallon dumpster with a computer chip. They come out every two weeks and pick it up and unload it,” Portis said. “They scan the computer chip, and for every pound of recyclable material the customer gets credit at participating stores. The average customer gets about $25 a month, so customers net an average of $15 and have a place to recycle.”

Currently, RecycleBank  has no route in Plattsmouth. “You have to generate enough customers,” Portis said. “Waste Management, Papillion San-itation and Central Waste do business in Plattsmouth but none of them offer recycling options. Elkhorn Sanitation Systems does through RecycleBank.”

And while Elkhorn Sanitation isn’t servicing Plattsmouth at this time, it hopes to by Aug. 1, according to Jeff Fishbaugh of Elkhorn Sanitation. “We’re excited about growing our company,” Fishbaugh said. “Since partnering with Recycle Bank May 1, we’ve added thousands of homes to our service area. We’re hoping to get started Aug. 1 in Plattsmouth. Our marketing people are working on flyers and with the homeowner’s associations.”

Elkhorn Sanitation already services homes and businesses on Highway 73 and Highway 75. “We’re looking forward to serving Buccaneer Bay, the city of Plattsmouth and Beaver Lake,” Fishbaugh said.

Recycling is an important facet of Elkhorn Sanitation’s services, which incorporates Firstar Fiber in Omaha and RecycleBank as the company’s partners, he said.

“Firstar Fiber does material processing in Omaha. They are the company that actually receives the recyclables,” Fishbaugh said.

RecycleBank invented the incentive-based recycling program, and the three businesses work together to help citizens recycle and earn reward points they can redeem at local businesses. “We have an exclusive with the program in this area,” Fishbaugh said.

The recycling partnership has spearheaded growth in the Elkhorn Sanitation company and its recycling numbers. “In April we were able to recycle 44 tons of recyclables among 5,200  households. On May 1, after partnering with RecycleBank, that jumped to 98 tons. It’s just a wonderful program,” Fishbaugh said.

Reward points can be redeemed at literally hundreds of area businesses. “You can redeem your reward points for groceries and other goods and save good cash,” he said.

Businesses participating in the program see an increase in customer traffic.  People interested in procuring Elkhorn Sanitation’s services can call 1- (402) 330-3603. “We are establishing a database of prospective customers. Call and talk to one of our customer service sales representatives,” Fishbaugh said.

Elkhorn Sanitation representatives will be calling people on the list to inform them when their recycling containers will be delivered and when their waste hauling service will be started.

For more information on RecycleBank, log on to www.recyclebank.com.