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OGDEN -- The people at Bloom Recyclers in Ogden are pretty darn busy. They're getting about 5 percent more business from last year.
Company President Dorothy Thyberg said, "We deal in, probably, about 10 semi [truck] loads a day of material here."
Thyberg says a lot of people are bringing in tin items, insulated copper, and kitchen appliances. The main driving force behind this increase, in her opinion, is the economy.
"I really don't think it's because people are getting neater. I think they're looking around and saying, ‘Gee, that might be worth 40 bucks,' and gathering the stuff up," she said.
But not everyone clearly understands the rules of what they can recycle. There are things Bloom Recyclers can't take. For instance, they can take car batteries but not regular batteries. Plus, computer monitors can be recycled, but not through the company because of heavy metals. Bloom's website maps out what items can be brought to it and which can't.
Also, some people are throwing in their trash. Thyberg says they'll get an occasional dirty diaper mixed in with the recyclables. Some people may still think of old bottles and cans as garbage, so they don't sort out what they're donating. Others try to trick the company by weighing down their stash with rocks or water, even though her staff is pretty good at noticing if a haul is too heavy.
"They can usually tell," Thyberg said. "If they have a sack of cans that seems a little bit heavy then they'll tear it open and look inside."
Getting money for recycling your old household items is a more complex procedure than many people realize. If you want to recycle anything other than soda bottles and cans, you need to be at least 18 years old, or minors must have a legal adult accompany them. The adult needs to have their I.D. and sign a legal document saying they legally own the materials they're trying to sell. Thyberg says the company does this in case police need help in tracking down stolen goods.
"If I didn't know it, I would think it was made up. But, we had this elderly couple that went on a trip and when they came back, [they noticed] someone had stolen the side from the back of their house," Thyberg said.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
