Macon County, Ill., board members are considering whether to build a campus containing drive-through recycling, county environmental offices, a compost center and a solar farm in the near future.

Plans for the $7.5 million, 109-acre campus are scheduled for a February 14 vote. The county’s environmental director told board members that the campus would create a permanent recycling facility that would allow the county to shift away from recycling events, such as paint collection days. Instead, according to a Herald & Review report, residents and businesses would be able to take advantage of regular hours to drop off recyclables, such as electronics and bulk items, like couches and other furniture.

Herald & Review has more details:

Macon County board members are set to decide next month whether to build a $7.5 million campus with drive-through recycling, county environmental offices, a compost center, solar farm and community gardens on the city's west side.

Plans for the 109-acre campus in the 1100 block of North Wyckles Road are scheduled for a Feb. 14 vote, with several board committees set to consider the proposal before it goes before the full board. The timeline was provided Tuesday during a special board meeting to review the proposal in detail and hear from residents who either support or oppose the project.

Macon County Environmental Management Director Laurie Rasmus said members of her department believes the campus can be self-sustaining within six years. She described a number of benefits of the project, noting that a permanent recycling site would allow the county to shift away from recycling events, such as paint collection days. Instead, residents and businesses would be able to take advantage of regular hours to drop off recyclables, such as electronics, and bulk items, like couches and other furniture.

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