Never Have I Ever: Working the line at the E. Paul Barley Regional Recycling Center

BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) — Here in America, each person throws out about five pounds of trash every day, or 1,800 pounds a year, according to data at Environmental America, an environmental advocacy group.

Recyclable items like plastic, paper, cardboard and aluminum may be used again, reducing the amount of garbage in landfills.

For a segment of 59News “Never Have I Ever” series, which allows reporters to try something new, I decided to learn more about recycling in southern West Virginia.

I met two workers with the Beckley Board of Public Works at New River Park. They pick up recycling in the city, compact it in their truck and deliver it to the E. Paul Barley Regional Recycling Center at the Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority landfill.

Barry Martin, the floor supervisor at the recycling plant, said on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, that tons of recyclables are at the plant daily.

“On a daily basis, if we get three Charleston trucks and a South Charleston truck, it’s 16 tons,” said Martin. “We process probably over half of that.”

Martin reported that around one ton of the waste delivered in the 16 tons is trash and not recyclable.

Workers on “the line” place recyclables on a lift that takes it up along a conveyor belt to the top of the plant, where a line of workers quickly sort it into bins. They separate cardboard, paper, plastic and aluminum into the bins, while a magnet traps metals.

I was permitted to work with the group on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, for a brief period, to learn about the job.

“It’s constant motion, and it’s plenty of exercise. We call it the Raleigh County Solid Waste Weight Loss Program,” said Martin. “When I started, I was over 250 pounds, and in 90 days, I was down to 225.”

Workers stand on a platform, high over the delivery area.

The work is very challenging, with workers trying to get all recyclables off the conveyor belt and placed into the correct bin as more recyclables make their way down the belt.

Barry said most recycling families and businesses in southern West Virginia are very conscientious and place only recyclable items in their bins.

However, he said, some people have placed hypodermic needles, used for drugs like insulin, into recycling bins, which represent a risk of injury for workers.

He added that line workers must also pull out dirty adult diapers and used doggy waste bags from the conveyor belt.

Raleigh County Solid Waste Authority Education Director Sherrie Hunter said the recycling center serves not only Beckley but cities throughout the region, including South Charleston and Charleston.

Martin reported the jobs at the recycling plant come with good benefits and that each worker receives two breaks in an eight-hour shift.

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