Columbia County recycling center resumes full operations after new baler installed

The William View Recycling Center in Columbia County has returned to full recycling operations after the center replaced its main cardboard baler, staff said.

The system-wide interruption began in July when the primary baler failed, and smaller machines could not keep up with incoming cardboard, staff said. "We didn't realize just what would happen when this machine went down," said Unidentified Speaker 3, a recycling center staff member. "Just what you you don't know what you have until it's gone."

County staff and center operators said the replacement was made possible with funding secured "through the commissioners," and the new baler is built to handle large and small boxes alike. "We're very grateful that we were able to replace that through the commissioners and able to find the funding for it," the staff member said.

The center uses a set of machines, including five balers with specific roles, to sort and compact materials. Staff described the workflow: arriving material is sorted into containers, moved to balers for compacting and tying, staged, and then loaded onto trucks for processors. The facility processes cardboard, aluminum cans and a variety of other recyclables; staff said volumes have increased year over year.

Center operators said the older baler’s failure led to accumulating piles of cardboard even though collection and drop-off continued. The new baler, they said, reduces manual handling of large boxes and helps keep staging areas clear. "I'm just grateful we have it back," the staff member said.

No formal vote or ordinance was recorded in the segment; staff characterized the replacement as a county-funded equipment purchase arranged through the commissioners. The center will continue normal operations and staging of compacted bales for transport to processors.