KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A new facility specializing in recycling construction material is being proposed for a site in Kalamazoo Township.
Mulder’s Landscape Supplies, Inc. and Waste Not Recycling, LLC are planning to build a construction and demolition (C&D) waste recycling center and transfer station at a five-acre site on the southeast corner of Ravine Road and Nichols Road.
Developers say the 20,000 square-foot-facility is expected to employ 20 full-time workers and reduce the amount of waste ending up in local landfills.
Waste from construction, renovations, and demolitions accounts for at least 20% of all municipal waste. Drafted plans for the new recycling center call for processing of concrete, metal, and other debris into reusable material.
“C&D recycling is a $7 billion industry supporting 28,000 U.S. jobs. We’re eager to help our community tap into this economic driver, especially at this critical time,” said Mulder’s Landscape Supplies President Art Mulder.
The recycling center will become the first of its kind in the Kalamazoo area, with the nearest facility located 90 miles away.
Consisting of two connected buildings, company officials say they are considering adding another 15,000 facility at the location in the future. The recycling center will feature enclosed structures so that all operations happen indoors, minimizing noise and visible debris for the surrounding community.
Both companies have applied for a joint special use permit from Kalamazoo Township to build the center on the plot of land, with a public hearing on the request scheduled for June 4th.
A released statement by the developers says the facility will require an amendment to the Kalamazoo County solid waste management plan, which was drafted more than 20 years ago when the C&D recycling industry was a much smaller business activity.
Construction is expected to begin during late 2020 or early in 2021, with work on the facility completed later that year.
