Winneshiek County's Recycling Center Director thanks county residents for their support over the last 20 years

After 20 years as Winneshiek County's Recycling Center Director, Terry Buenzow is departing for a job in the Madison area.

Buenzow tells decorahnews.com's Sara Peterson, "It's hard to believe that 20 years have gone by already. A lot has changed in the recycling world since then."

One of those major changes has been the operation of the county's recycling center.  It had 14 collection bins when Buenzow started in 2000.  Today there are more than four times as many recycling bins--58 in all, with a large direct drop off facility at the recycling plant in Freeport as well.

"For a purely voluntary program I would put our participation rate up against any program out there," says Buenzow.  That metric has not gone unnoticed by others in the recycling industry.  In 2012 the Winneshiek County Recycling Center won the "Best Recycling Program in Iowa" award, while in 2016 it was presented with the "Recycling Facility of the Year in Iowa" award.