A resident asked Franklin Township supervisors on Tuesday to bring back recycling.

Resident Jill Renfrew asked, “What do we need to do as citizens to get the township and the supervisors to again consider recycling again in some manner? Is there anything we can do.”

Board Chairman Jason Frey said it wasn’t about it being too expensive.

“I think it’s controlling it, managing it, or having some of the staff.” Frey said. “People just dumping garbage.”

Renfrew said she understands that the service was abused in the past.

“But, I don’t want to give up, I want us to try to figure something out so that we could consider it again,” Renfrew said. “I think if there’s anything that a private individual can do, or if we can get a committee to try to consider how we would reinstitute recycling in Franklin Township.”

Supervisor Fred Kemmerer Jr. told Renfrew he’s a proponent of recycling.

“You can probably see the steps that were made quietly to posture to that point,” Kemmerer Jr. said. “The upper part of the township is cleaned up now.”

Kemmerer Jr. said that the township is proud of its new salt shed and a new garbage truck.

“We have an open pole barn, two doors, where it’s a spot where we could explore,” Kemmerer Jr. said. “Right now we put garbage trucks in there.”

Frey said it’s about finding that landfill or a place you can take the recycling that doesn’t run it to the landfill.

Kemmerer Jr. agreed with Frey, and added it’s about finding someone who will take items such as glass and possibly cardboard.

“But we have to find these people because we don’t have the confidence in the landfills to do it properly,” Kemmerer Jr. said.

Frey noted that the township’s garbage is inexpensive compared to the other municipalities.

“I’m for it, but I’m agreeing with Jason; we need to find those vendors where it’s cost effective.”

Renfrew asked if they could get a group together to do some of the legwork for the township.

“I don’t know how many people would be interested,” Renfrew said. “I wouldn’t want it to be big, I’d want it be small and full of people who are willing to pick up the telephone and call the vendors and work through grants that might be possible to help pay for it and all that kind of stuff.”

In 2020, supervisors agreed to discontinue the township recycling center.

Then Supervisor Robin Cressley said that while closing the center wasn’t an easy decision, leaving it open wouldn’t be fiscally responsible.

Frey said couches and foosball tables had been placed in the bins at times.

Supervisors said the recycling bins were being contaminated with plastic bags and some garbage, and reminded township residents to not place any kind of plastic bags in the recycling dumpsters.

It was noted at that time that trash of any kind should not be placed in the recycling bins, as the township was charged an extra $2,000 at one point due to the bins being contaminated.

Frey said at that time the recycling bins were to be used by township residents only after people have been coming from Towamensing, Mahoning and Penn Forest townships to drop their recyclables off.