For more than a decade, Community Pantry reaped proceeds from
locals donating cardboard and newspapers in bins outside
Leatherback Industries for the company to recycle.
For more than a decade, Community Pantry reaped proceeds from locals donating cardboard and newspapers in bins outside Leatherback Industries for the company to recycle.
But a couple weeks ago, because a few residents’ reoccurring habit of dropping off non-recyclable garbage polluted the process, Leatherback trashed the program. And now Community Pantry is out a $400-$500 a month donation.
People have sporadically dropped off the wrong types of garbage through the years. But the problem heightened recently, according to Tom Larkin, executive director of Community Pantry.
Recently, some people left milk jugs filled with used oil. Others packed Styrofoam, grass clippings and hedge clippings into the designated bins, even though signs nearby pointed out the rules.
Larkin doesn’t blame Leatherback, though, and he considered its service a donation because the company made no money from recycling the materials. Leatherback occasionally cut checks to the organization for whatever amounts were earned from the recyclables.
“Just a few (people) have ruined the whole thing,” Larkin said Monday.
Community Pantry is a 15-year-old nonprofit organization that provides free meals to less fortunate San Benito County residents. Each Wednesday, it gives out an average of 801 bags of food to area families, Larkin said.
The money from the recycling, Larkin said, is about the cost of the organization’s fuel each month; a van and two Community Pantry trucks deliver food to four spots in the area. The annual revenue generated of about $5,500 was around 3 percent of the organization’s $168,000 in total revenues last fiscal year.
Leatherback still recycles residents’ cardboard and newspapers, and will even donate proceeds to Community Pantry if people request it of the company, Larkin said. But residents can no longer just drop off their cardboard and newspapers outside the plant. Now, they must take it inside to be weighed.
“It’s kind of frustrating to me to find out people are abusing the opportunity to get rid of newspapers and contribute at the same time,” said Hollister City Councilman Tony LoBue, whose family regularly dropped off their cardboard and newspapers at Leatherback.
Since the cancellation, a lot of agitated residents have called the organization to ask what happened. Community Pantry is now looking for another person or company to offer a drop-off site near Leatherback.
Leatherback representatives could not be reached for comment Monday.
For more information, call Community Pantry at 637-0340.
