AbiBow officials could not be reached for comment. Calls to AbiBow offices were answered by a recording that indicated the company was selling its assets.
People who take used paper to the Paper Retriever containers should wait until the situation is resolved to bring more paper for recycling, said Steve Schlather, program coordinator for the Clark County Solid Waste District.
“We’ll probably know something by early next week what exactly is going to happen, but some things are still up in the air,” Schlather said.
Schlather said two containers at the Solid Waste District office at 1602 W. Main St. have been full for a few days.
He said staff called earlier this week to have the bins emptied. On Friday, the district received a letter saying the service had been terminated.
AbiBow have paid churches and schools “modest sums” for recycling paper. The more tons of paper organizations generate the more funds they receive.
“A lot of places have done it as a small fund-raiser. That’s one of the questions is whether whoever takes it over will continue to pay people for putting paper in the bins,” Schlather said.
In 2013, AbiBow reported serving 49 sites in Clark County and generating 1,200 tons of paper for recycling. The Paper Retriever bins are at stores, churches, schools and parks.
The Solid Waste District also has drop-off recycling stations by the Clark County Combined Health District office and in South Charleston.
At those stations, paper can be placed in the commingled bins that hold plastic, metal and glass.
“We hope this situation can be worked out so that a new company will continue the service, because the Paper Retrievers are the primary outlet for Clark County residents to have their used paper recycled,” Schlather said.
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