By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
A new baler used to crush paper and cardboard for recycling is being installed this week at the city of Hays recycling center.
"We bale it, compress it, and then put it on trucks and send it down [to Stutzman Recycling Services in Hutchinson] to be recycled," City Manager Toby Dougherty told city commissioners at their Thursday meeting.
The old baler has been removed but they're been some installation problems with the new baler, Dougherty said.
"They're having to do some modifications on the new baler as well as the electrical service, so we might be without a baler for a few days."
The baling machine is unavailable so the city is asking residents not to set out their paper and cardboard recycling for collection for the next few days.
The public works department issued a notice about the situation early Thursday afternoon on the city's website.
"We don't have much space [in the recycling center] and we'd have to put it in the landfill. We do not want to put it in the landfill," Dougherty said.
"We're asking you to hold on to your cardboard and paper until you see a public service release that says please set it out again.
"Hopefully, we'll get it wrapped up early next week and get back to normal quickly."