You throw a piece of paper in the recycling bin and probably forget about it, but where does it go? If you live in Harrison and parts of Marion County it goes to the Resolute Forest Products Fairmont Pulp Mill.
Recycling is building momentum in the state thanks to the Fairmont Pulp Mill, one of three of its kind in the world. But, only two percent of what the mill recycles actually comes from West Virginia.
“The biggest things we’re trying to do is build awareness in the state. Try to get more programs for recycling because the hardest thing is the collection,” said Brian Wilmoth, General Manager of the Fairmont Pulp Mill.
It’s more than just paper that is collected.
“We can recycle just about anything we just have to kind of watch with the amounts. We don’t normally like recycle cardboard, newspaper some, but mostly we’re into recycling what you would find on your desk,” said Production Manager Steve Demyon.
Once the paper is collected it’s brought to the mill where more than 200,000 tons of wastepaper is processed per year. It’s an extensive process, but one that makes employees proud of their company and the work that they do.
“I’m very proud of what we do here recycling wise. Honestly I think taking the dirty dingy waste paper that we get in here and turning it into the clean white stuff we send out is pretty amazing how it’s all done,” said Shift Supervisor Seth Yates.
http://www.wboy.com/story/28875494/fairmont-pulp-mill-building-west-virginia-recycling