The Great Bend Chamber Ambassadors Club hosted a ribbon cutting at Sunflower Recycling Center on Thursday, Aug. 12. Sunflower Recycling Center is celebrating the opening of the new larger recycling center at 5605 10th St. 

Sunflower Recycling Center employs two staff members and provides a work opportunity for four to six different clients from Sunflower Diversified Services every day. Shelby Zuniga, Sunflower Diversified Services CFO, spoke about the benefits of having clients work at the recycling center.

“That’s what we’re all about – teaching (clients) skills,” Zuniga said. In addition, keeping the material out of landfill and contributing to community recycling efforts make the Recycling Center a “win/win.”

Sunflower Recycling has been around for approximately 20 years. It serves 80-90 recycling customers from Barton, Pawnee, Stafford, Rice and Rush counties on a daily basis.

Two hundred and forty businesses are currently on the business route for pickup. Anyone with a business who is interested in joining this route may contact Shawn Bates at sbates@sunflowerdiv.com. 

For more information, go online at sunflowerdiv.com, or find the Sunflower Diversified Service Facebook page. The recycling center is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunflower Diversified Services has been providing vocational training and jobs for those with disabilities for over 55 years.