WEST PITTSTON -- Not all communities have recycling centers, but those that do often run into a similar problem: people dumping garbage into bins meant for recycling.
But West Pittston is doing something about it after security cameras captured person after person dumping non-recyclable trash in recycling bins.
“It just gets us very aggravated and angry because we have a very good convenience and very good thing here,” said Tony Scalzo, a West Pittston public works supervisor.
Some of the illegal dumpers don't even live in West Pittston. Officials say it's been happening more and more.
“We get such a volume of material that comes in here that we know it's not just from our borough,” he said.
So recently, the recycle center went from being open four days a week to just one, on Saturdays, when someone from the borough can supervise the drop-offs. That doesn't sit well with people waiting between the borough's twice-monthly pickups.
“If they're going to cause problems and throwing trash in there, then we'll have to wait 'til Saturday,” said one man.
“It's certainly not the place for trash. They have trash pickup, so there's no reason for it,” said Leo White.
Now West Pittston is going after those illegal dumpers. West Pittston police plan to issue citations to those they catch, which has become a burden and an expense to the public works department.
“It costs us and the borough money and it costs DPW. We're doing something we shouldn't be doing instead of something we should be doing,” Scalzo said.
The citations can be costly, up to $600, but officials hope to eventually have the recycling center back open a few days a week instead of one.