Bethlehem’s Recycling Center to Close for Two Weeks in June for Maintenance

— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs

Bethlehem’s Theis/Kornfeld Recycling Center will be closed for two weeks in June for maintenance, according to the city’s website.

Here’s the city’s statement about the facility on Illicks Mill Road:

THE THEIS/CORNFELD RECYCLING CENTER LOCATED AT 635 ILLICK’S MILL ROAD WILL BE CLOSED STARTING JUNE 16 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2025 FOR MAINTENANCE.  PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.  WE WILL RE-OPEN ON TUESDAY JULY 1 AT 10 AM.  WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND CONTINUED PATRONAGE.

The center is named for two Bethlehem men, Edwin Theis Jr. and Lewis D. Cornfeld. Theis, 80, and Cornfeld, 71, worked part-time at the facility in 2002. They were struck and killed by a pickup truck at the center.

The 80-year-old driver was not charged with any crimes but did lose her driver’s license.

The recycling center is a great place to get rid of sorted material; see the list on the city website.

Recycling centers can only accept what the market wants, so don’t go there expecting to get rid of all kinds of junk. Disposing of any household waste at a public facility in Bethlehem is illegal.

The center is no more a dump site than City Hall. So work with the staff, not against them. Also leave pets at home and don’t let children roam unattended, and visits will be quick and easy.

The city has in the past discussed a possible move of the center to the Schoenersville Road site of its yard waste facility. That appears to be more of a pipe dream than a real plan.

And remember, it’s for yard waste that is organic, not concrete, plastic, etc. etc., because just about every day, somebody tries to leave junk and push costs onto taxpayers.

— Disclosure: After retiring in 2019, I worked for six months at the recycling center. It was a great job with great guys and management. Customers could be a little difficult, particularly when the shredding operation was going.