ESB recycling center turns 25 years old

It is the first point of contact in Bocholt for waste separation and disposal, with expert advice and citizen-oriented service: the recycling center of the Entsorgungs- und Servicebetrieb Bocholt (ESB) is now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

On Friday, May 16, 1997, the recycling center at Schaffeldstraße 74 opened its doors for the first time. At the time, ESB manager Gisbert Jacobs and Karsten Groot, the city treasurer at the time, inaugurated the recycling center during a small ceremony. At the time, Bocholt was the first city in the region to provide its citizens with such a facility.

"In the meantime, it is impossible to imagine the city's waste disposal concept without the site, which covers an area of around 2,000 square meters, and it has become a cherished facility for many Bocholt residents," Jacobs reports in retrospect. In addition to the possibility of dropping off a wide range of waste and recyclable materials, the concept also includes expert information on the subject of waste separation. Three qualified ESB employees make it easier for citizens to separate their waste. In addition, the premises of the waste consulting service are located right next door.

Anniversary is "celebrated" on Wednesday

Since the recycling center is generally closed on Mondays and the anniversary falls on a Monday, the waste advisory service has decided to celebrate this special day on Wednesday, May 18, with a little delay on a small scale. On this day, every visitor to the recycling center will receive a small gift at the waste advice booth. "With this, we want to draw attention to the anniversary and thank the citizens for their loyalty and diligent deliveries in recent years," says ESB waste consultant Karin Kalka-Freundt.

Almost 3 million deliveries

Since the recycling center was established, every person in Bocholt, from babies to the elderly, has statistically disposed of around 1,600 kg of waste at the recycling center. If you calculate an average of about 40 kg per delivery, the recycling center has received about 3 million - or 2,981,879 - deliveries over the last 25 years. On average, this is about 120,000 deliveries per year.

Stationary collection point for problem waste

Another interesting figure: around 2,500,000 kg of hazardous waste has been brought to Schaffeldstrasse in the 25 years since it was established. "Compared with other cities, this is an exceptionally high figure," explains operations manager Gisbert Jacobs. "The reason for this strong acceptance is rooted in the collection point for problem waste at the recycling center. The city of Bocholt is the only municipality in the Borken district to offer such a service." Hazardous waste includes, for example, solvents, old paints, fluorescent tubes, full spray cans and a wide variety of chemicals. These are all particularly harmful to the environment. By disposing of them separately, damage could be kept away from the environment.