By Eric Stock

NORMAL – A private company has taken over Normal’s drop box recycling program.

The Town Council cut the program out of the annual budget starting this week to help plug a projected shortfall.

“We thought the entire program was going to have to go away entirely, but Midwest Fiber (Recycling) approached the town about keeping some of them in service. It benefits them obviosuly,” Town Councilman R.C.McBride said. “They are going to run this program and test this out for a few years and see how it works.”

McBride told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin the town will save $150,000.

“When you are flush and you can afford those sorts of things, that’s great,” McBride said. “Obviously we had some decisions to make to make sure we had a blanaced budget over the next five years and that was one of the programs to go.”

Midwest Fiber is keeping drop-boxes at four of its busiest locations; Chiddix Junior High, 300 S.Walnut St.; Wal-Mart, 300 Greenbriar Ave.; Jewel-Osco, 901 S. Cottage Ave.; and University Center,1101 N. Main St. The town is considering requiring landlords to offer recycling in multi-family dwellings.

Materials accepted in the drop-box program remain the same as those accepted in curbside recycling.

The town has information on accepted recycling products at www.normal.org.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].