Plans to dissolve the joint Pennsburg-East Greenville recycling center were finalized last week.

            East Greenville Borough Council approved two recycling-related motions at its June 27 meeting, including measures to accept an agreement with Pennsburg to dissolve joint ownership of the facility and to ratify an agreement to share a wood chipper with the neighboring municipality.

            Both agreements were previously approved by Pennsburg's council, according to Stephen Kramer, East Greenville's solicitor.

            According to Kramer, Pennsburg Solicitor Chuck Garner prepared the resolution to dissolve joint ownership of the center, which is located on West Side Alley in the borough.

            East Greenville's solicitor explained that the boroughs will continue a custodial arrangement to share the chipper for a period of one-year. 

            According to Kramer, the boroughs will have to share responsibility for financial repairs when the machine breaks or there is an issue. He added that it would be "another issue" if the chipper is "broken by misconduct or damaged by use outside the source of this arrangement."

            Borough Manager Jim Frey told officials that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection would expect have a say in any decision regarding repairs or sale of the chipper because it was purchased with state grant money. The state would have a stake in the equipment as long as it is valued at $100 or more.

            Pennsburg will continue to own the building and property of the recycling center, according to council President Kris Kirkwood. He said Tuesday that the municipality will store the chipper at the facility when his borough utilizes it.

            Borough officials expect to sell the additional equipment at the former recycling center, which includes a bailer, bailing equipment, forklift truck, recycling trailer, compactor and can separator, according to Kirkwood.  "That is still the plan," he said.

            The municipalities decided to end their recycling agreement last year after contracting with private trash haulers to pick up co-mingled cardboard, plastic and aluminum items.

            In October, Pennsburg officials voted to contract with Douglass Township-based Waste Management to collect both garbage and recyclables. Under the new contract – a three-year agreement that includes two optional years – co-mingled recyclables and trash will be picked up curbside every week, according to council member Diane Stevens. 

            In November, East Greenville approved a three-year contract with Whitetail Disposal in New Hanover that includes weekly trash and recycling collection.