Sedalia Banjo's Recycling Center closing

After five years of serving the Sedalia area, Banjo’s Recycling Center will be closing its doors in Sedalia on Dec. 1.
Anne Peoples, owner of the center, said people are getting comfortable using the center and now everything will be shutting down.

“It’s tough,” Anne said. “You just get established and now you have to jerk it away from the citizens.”

In January, the market price of recyclable materials dropped drastically and since then Anne and her husband, Frank Peoples, have been selling personal items to keep the business afloat.

“We sold personal stuff and we made it, barely, but we made it,” Anne said.

Earlier this year, Frank sold items such as personal vehicles, a golf cart, a golf cart trailer and two guitars to help pay the utility bills for the center.

“Right now, she will be able to cover expenses without going into personal savings to stay open,” Frank said.
Banjo’s began in Cole Camp in 1997 and relocated to Sedalia. Most of the recyclable materials they received in Cole Camp came from Sedalia. When the center moved to Sedalia, a five-year agreement was made with the City of Sedalia to operate. The lease of the building was paid through the city at a rate of $10,000 per year.

“Without assistance from the state or the city, the center does not generate enough cash flow for the $10,000 lease,” Frank said.

Mayor Elaine Horn, said losing the center will have a big impact in Sedalia, but keeping the center running, “would take a lot and it’s a huge financial investment.”

“We are actually working to find some non-profit organization to partner with to get this up and running again,” Horn said.

Banjo’s recycles newspapers, magazines, white paper, tin cans, aluminum cans and appliances such as furnaces and air conditioning units. Franks said the center recycles about 100 tons of materials per month. The center quit accepting plastics in January.

Anne and Frank said the recycling center will move back to Cole Camp in a building owned by them located off of Butterfield Trail.

“We plan on leaving our newspaper bins on location here,” Frank said.

The couple also plans on adding an additional magazine bin in Sedalia.

“We are thankful for the people who did help raise funds for this place to stay open and the residents and citizens here in this town,” Frank said. “It hurts us that we have to relocate.”

The facility in Cole Camp will be open 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The center will continue to accept appliances, but Frank said he is not sure when they will begin taking plastics.

The Peopleses hope to be up and running in Cole Camp in December. Anyone who would like more information about Banjo’s Recycling Center can contact Anne or Frank at 660-668-3198.