LYCOMING COUNTY, Pa. — Trash, plastic bags, and non-recyclable materials are constantly being left or dumped at a number of the recycling centers in Lycoming County. According to Lycoming County Resource Management, illegal dumping at recycling centers has been a huge problem for weeks.
"It is unfortunate that people will not help our staff out with that. They just think it is an entitlement that they are allowed to illegally dump and get away with it," said Jason Yorks of the Lycoming County Resource Management Services.
Big red bins are located at each recycling center. Each bin has signs that tell you what can be left inside.
"True plastics that we can recycle are plastic bottles and jugs. Number 1s and number 2s, and there's some markets for number 5s and so forth," said Yorks.
If you go to any of the recycling plants in Lycoming County and bring a bag full of plastics or paper, you're supposed to take five minutes to empty that bag of plastics or paper and then put those items in the correct bin. You then take the bag home with you. You don't leave it on site.
When trash and non-recyclable materials are illegally dumped, they are taken to the Lycoming County Resource Management site. Workers must sift through illegally dumped garbage just to collect whatever is recyclable.
"We're still getting used cat litter and bags full of used diapers. These things are uncalled for, and unfortunately, our staff have to sort through it every day and expose themselves to some really nasty stuff," said Yorks.
Video shows everything that was collected from Lycoming County recycling centers over the weekend. You can see plastic bags, styrofoam, and many items that were illegally dumped.
"We don't sort waste. That is, everybody thinks we sort waste. We do not sort waste. We sort recyclables," said Yorks.
Many of the recycling centers in Lycoming County now have cameras. If you are caught illegally dumping trash at one of the sites, you could be charged.