North Elba Transfer Station Supervisor Shannon Porter cleans around the cardboard compactor at the town’s Recycling Center Tuesday. The center reopened Tuesday after being closed since mid-March. (Enterprise photo — Andy Flynn)

LAKE PLACID — Town of North Elba officials announced Thursday that they will add a third day to the Recycling Center hours starting next week, for commercial businesses only.

On Tuesday, the town reopened the Recycling Center after being closed for almost two months. Due to a 50% staffing reduction mandated by the state during the coronavirus pandemic, the building was scheduled to reopen on Tuesdays and Saturdays only, instead of five days a week. However, commercial businesses will be able to recycle on Wednesdays starting May 20, according to transfer station Supervisor Shannon Porter.

“The purpose is to help alleviate the wait time for residents on Tuesdays and Saturdays,” stated a press release. “This will allow businesses with larger loads to back in and unload without restricting the social distancing.”

The same rules apply for businesses as they do for residents:

¯ People must wear face masks.

¯ People must wait at their vehicles until they are invited into the building by a town employee.

¯ There is a maximum of five people allowed inside the building at a time.

¯ People need to keep at least 6 feet away from one another and staff.

¯ People are asked to presort their recycles to decrease the time spent inside the building.

¯ People must touch as little as possible inside the building.

¯ People should sanitize their hands on their way in and out of the building.

¯ There is no glass being accepted at this time, except redeemable glass bottles.

The hours are 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The North Elba Recycling Center is located at the transfer station at the end of Recycle Circle Lane in Lake Placid.