Rapid City Solid Waste Division makes changes to remote disposal sites

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Beginning May 1, the Rapid City Solid Waste Division is making changes to its remote recycling and yard waste disposal sites at the Fitzgerald Stadium and West Boulevard North sites.

Photo courtesy of the City of Rapid City Public Works Department

Both sites currently serve as a collection point for plastic, cardboard and yard waste.

The West Boulevard North collection site, which was opened in the late 1990s, will be permanently closed effective May 1, due to the illegal dumping of trash, furniture, appliances and other materials as well as the fact that it is not as busy as the Fitzgerald Stadium or the collection site at the Rapid City Landfill.

Dale Tech, the Rapid City Public Works Director said the West Boulevard North site only accounts for 20 percent of the recyclable materials collected at all three sites.  He added that this site is often abused by users violating what can acceptably be put in bins.

When trash is put in recycling bins, bins must then be hand-sorted costing the city time and manpower while they are currently short-staffed.

The Fitzgerald Stadium site which is the city’s busiest collection location will no longer offer newspaper recycling due to a decrease in need in the last several years.  Newspaper recycling bins will still be available at the Rapid City Landfill.

Yard waste containers will be available at the Fitzgerald Stadium site beginning May 1 and the city’s curbside yard waste collection will resume on May 2.  Curbside yard waste must be properly placed in recyclable brown paper sacks and placed curbside on the day of trash curbside collection.  Branches and sticks must be bundled and tied up for collection, be under 25 pounds, and no more than four feet in length.  Larger branches or tree limbs must be taken to the Fitzgerald Stadium or Landfill sites.

Tech said that with the city’s record growth officials will continue to monitor the overall issue of the collection sites and are looking for another centrally located site.