MOUNT VERNON — On Saturday, the Mount Vernon News, along with SBC recycling, will offer a paper recycling drop-off point in downtown Mount Vernon from 8 a.m. to noon. The event was planned to coincide with Earth Day, which falls on April 22.
“It helps us recycle our papers and helps the community and eventually helps the earth,” said Liz Lutwick, News assistant publisher.
Anyone who drops off their paper and presents a coupon that appeared in the Mount Vernon News will also receive a free, one-month subscription to the paper.
According to Mike McNichols, circulation manager for the News, between 200 and 300 people took part in the event last year. The recycling drive has been organized twice a year for the past three years at “the house-cleaning times” of the year, said Lutwick.
Accepted items are newspapers and magazines; employees from the News will volunteer their time on Saturday morning to assist people with the collection, and will also accept their coupons for subscriptions.
The last paper recycling drive, held in October, collected about 5,600 pounds of paper, which was then recycled.
According to statistics from Linda Montgomery, Knox County Recycling & Litter Prevention coordinator, in 2004, Knox County produced an average of nearly one ton of trash for every person living in the county. However, during the same time period, only 38.5 pounds of materials were recycled per person.
