Recycling

Are you recycling cartons and juice boxes? Rumpke opened a brand new state-of-the-art recycling facility (Material Recovery Facilty/MRF) in November and the community was invited to go for a tour. Since I consider myself the resident recycling guru in Amberley, and as chair of the Health, Education, & Welfare committee of council that reviews our trash and recycling contracts annually, I didn't want to miss the opportunity. Fellow councilperson Peg Conway and I went together.

Our community is doing a great job of reducing the trash we send to the landfill. Last year, we received approximately $13,000 from Hamilton County Solid Waste and Recycling as a reward for the amount of waste we kept out of the landfill. The items that are acceptable for recycling are dependent upon there being either a buyer or an end-use for the material being recycled. Practically anything is recyclable, as long as there is someone to buy it and we have the facility to separate and bale it. Rumpke's new facility is now capable of separating and baling the cartons we used to have to throw in the trash. This includes milk cartons and juice boxes that have a waxy coating on them.

A couple of take away tips from the tour: 1) DON'T THROW AWAY PLASTIC BAGS! Rumpke's MRF is manned by workers whose job it is to sort out non-recyclable trash from a fast-moving conveyor. One plastic bag stuck in the conveyor can shut down the entire facility! Throw your papers straight into the recycling can or bin, or else put them in a paper grocery bag. Plastic grocery bags can be recycled by taking them back to the grocery store and putting them in the recycle bin at the front of the store. 2) RINSE AND REMOVE THE LIDS FROM CARTONS. Plastic lids may be recycled along with plastic bottles as long as they are attached to the bottle.

Remember, our solid waste output can also be dramatically reduced by composting. Composting is fun, easy, and can be done all year long. Michele Balz of Hamilton County Solid Waste & Recycling writes a humorous blog about composting with lots of composting tips called Confessions of a Composter. Finally, it's time to start stockpiling those old electronics and papers for shredding. Amberley's Environmental Stewardship Committee will once again be hosting "One Stop Drop" and Cohen Recycling will be collecting electronics to recycle.

If you ever wondered what happens to the materials we recycle after they are picked up at the curb, Rumpke has some great videos on its YouTube channel: Rumpke Clean & Green. You can also schedule a tour for your own group by visiting their website http://rumpke.com/education/facility-tours. Scouts will love this tour, because as you can see from my photo, visitors are required to wear protective clothing, including a hardhat.

If you haven't yet done so, be sure to join our neighborhood network on Nextdoor and subscribe to Amberley news and email at AmberleyVillage.org. 

Fill Up That Bin!

Ok, so you've got your new 65 gallon recycle bin. Have you filled it up yet? I mean, have you really filled it up? Are you maximizing the recycle potential of your trash?

The most recent issue of Hamilton County Solid Waste & Recycling's newsletter "WasteLine" has Amberley Village falling out of the top 10 municipalities for recycling. The truth is, our recycling rate stayed almost the same, but our solid waste output increased.

As I drive around Amberley on Friday's, I notice a lot of recyclable items stacked at the curb alongside the bins. Cardboard boxes, for example, are recyclable if you break them down and put them in the new, larger bin. In my household, I've become a super recycler -- empty toilet paper, paper towel, or gift wrap tubes go into the bin. Empty tissue boxes also go into the bin. In fact, I've been guilty of pulling recyclable items out of the trash and putting them where they belong -- in the recycle bin. If you're not sure what can be recycled, clicke HERE for a list.

 Now I'll get off my (recyclable, cardboard) soapbox and talk about something else. Trash in the streets. This usually occurs just after trash day, but I have a favor to ask. We all need to take care of our community. If you see that something from your garbage has blown out of the can, or for some reason not made it into the truck, please pick it up and dispose of it. If you see someone has thrown a beer can into your yard over the night, please pick it up and recycle it. I always ask myself, if I don't pick it up, who will?  All of us working collectively can resolve this issue and go far to keeping Amberley the beautiful community that we love. 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Have you ever given serious thought to your family's rate of recycling? More household items than you might suspect are now recyclable and the more Amberley residents recycle, the greater our Residential Recycling Incentive (RRI) grant from the Hamilton County Solid Waste District. Last year, Amberley's rate of recycling was 22% which is very good. If our rate is between 20%-24.9%, our RRI $ per ton is $28.  We received a little more than $11,000 in 2011 just for recycling. However, if we increase our rate to 25%, our RRI $ per ton increases to $32.  How can we do that if we are already one of the top recycling communities in Hamilton County?

If we are smarter about recycling we can easily meet that goal. Mariemont and Montgomery already surpass us by 10%, and Mariemont does it with the small red bins as well.

First of all, go ahead and order that large recycling bin from Rumpke. You will find that with the acquisition of a larger bin, your rate of recycling will probably surpass your rate of throw-away trash. The bins can be purchased and delivered to your home. You could wait a year and get one for free when Amberley renegotiates it's garbage contract (most likely), or you could buy one this year and get another one next year. I know we could easily fill two large recycling containers at my household every week.

Pay attention to what you are throwing away. Toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls? Both are recyclable, but you are probably throwing them away. I've started keeping two waste baskets in the bathroom -- one is for recyclable trash.  Open your mail over the recycling bin. Also, all those receipts in your wallet and purse are recyclable too.

Don't throw away those old computers and televisions. They are recyclable! Hazardous household waste products can be taken to 4600 Spring Grove Avenue . I am certain with a little more thought and a bigger household bin, Amberley can become an elite community of recyclers and bring in a little more revenue to the Village as well.