FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Brigitte Kantor, Lee County Solid Waste Division
               (239) 338-3302

Lee County Solid Waste Division Gives "GREEN LIGHT" To Fiber Board Recycling

FORT MYERS, Fla. (January 29, 2004) - Starting immediately all fiber board boxes are now acceptable in the County's Recycling Collection Program.

Fiber board is normally used for cereal boxes, cracker boxes, detergent boxes, shoe boxes, etc. This also includes beverage can boxes, bottle carrying holders and gift boxes. Materials need to be flattened and recycled with the other paper recycling items.

The Lee County Solid Waste Division has worked diligently on establishing feasible programs that have a positive effect on waste reduction without impacting the taxpayers' pocketbooks. The Solid Waste Division received the commitment from its operations contractor, FCR Inc., based in Charlotte, North Carolina, late last week to include materials made of fiber board in the current paper recycling program. Lee County's two- year-old Materials Recovery Facility is well equipped to provide positive sorting of the material and has storage space for the fiber board that is in queue awaiting shipping.

Fiber board is recycled back into packaging boxes and into the medium (wavy inner layer) for corrugated cardboard.

The Solid Waste Division encourages everyone to include flat fiber board boxes with their recyclables.