One thing at a time, we suppose, but we’d like to see the Northeast Michigan Materials Management Authority board follow through quickly on some of the plans officials have proposed in recent years, including curbside recycling pickup and glass recycling in Alpena County.

Currently, Alpena County residents who want to recycle have to haul their recyclables to large bins placed around Alpena, and residents cannot recycle glass.

However, recycling board officials have discussed the possibility of launching curbside recycling pickup in Alpena and beginning to accept glass.

We hope both of those things happen.

Curbside pickup would make it easier for Alpenans to recycle, and that would make them more likely to do so. The more people who recycle, the better that is for the environment because it prevents more trash from ending up in landfills.

And recycling glass allows Alpenans to recycle more of what would otherwise end up in the garbage.

We urge county recycling officials to continue working toward those goals and make them happen.

But first, the Materials Management Authority has to shore up the final $800,000 it needs to build a new, $5.5 million recycling center on M-32 near the county airport. The new facility is needed because the county’s recycling outfit has outgrown its current facility, and the new facility would allow the authority to recycle more materials more efficiently.

Officials told News staff writer Mike Gonzalez for a recent story that they have some irons in the fire and may soon be able to announce they’d closed the gap.

The new recycling facility is needed, too, as recycling becomes more popular among Alpena County residents.

We’re encouraged to see progress and wish the recycling board good luck in securing its final sums.