Athlone and Mullingar recycling centres closed

THE recycling centres in Athlone and Mullingar are closed to the public “until further notice”.

The move to close them yesterday morning (Tuesday) came after the contract for the centres was awarded to new companies under the tendering process and the current contractor Oxigen - which had run the centres for six years - is vacating the sites. According to Oxigen, the company has been asked to vacate the site in Athlone, along with the site in Mullingar, by tomorrow, Thursday, December 1. Oxigen’s operations manager Pat Nagle told the Westmeath Independent that it was necessary to close the plants to move equipment off the site.
“We are moving our equipment. We need three days to get the equipment out. It is closed to the public on health and safety grounds,” he said. The future of the two staff working there and the four (two full-time and two part-time) in the Mullingar centre is unclear. One possibility is that they will be transferred across to the new contractors when they come on board.
Customers who arrived at the Athlone plant yesterday (Tuesday) were faced with locked gates and a handwritten notice stating: ‘Apologies, closed until further notice’, signed, ‘Staff Athlone Recycling Centre’. Customers were advised to contact Westmeath County Council.
The council said it wished to advise the public that the recycling centres in Mullingar and Athlone are closing temporarily to facilitate the change of the council’s operator on these sites. Westmeath County Council is endeavouring to minimise this period of closure and regrets any inconvenience caused.”