Submitted
Residents in Ross, Pickaway, Highland and Fayette counties recycled more than 7.8 million pounds in 2015, approximately 1 million pounds more than their 2014 annual record.
The recycling program is provided through a partnership between Rumpke and the Ross-Pickaway-Highland-Fayette Solid Waste Management District (RPHF). It began in 2005 with seven sites and 14 containers. Today the program includes 36 sites and 96 containers located throughout the four counties.
The program accepts plastic bottles and jugs where the opening is smaller than the base, cartons, metal cans, glass bottles and jars, paper and cardboard. Residents should place these recyclables unbagged in the Rumpke recycling container.
Items that are not on the list should not be placed in the container, and material should never be placed outside of the container. Misusing containers may result in the removal of the recycling site.
“Residents obviously care a lot about recycling and they’re doing a lot of good,” said Nick Rupert, Rumpke municipal representative. “To do even better, it’s important to recycle only the acceptable items, meaning no plastic bags, no hazardous materials and definitely no trash.”
Unacceptable items can be a safety risk for employees, damage equipment and even increase the costs of the program. They can also ruin otherwise good recyclables that other residents place in the container.
Advanced equipment and technology are used to sort the items by type at one of Rumpke’s recycling facilities. The recycled material is used to create a variety of new products.
Rumpke is a family-owned business with regional operations in Circleville and Chillicothe. The company partners with solid waste districts, communities and businesses throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and West Virginia to offer recycling services. Rumpke has nearly 2,600 employees.
Rumpke recycled more than 900 million pounds of materials in 2015. For more information, visit www.Rumpke.com.
For details specific to the RPHF Solid Waste Management District, visit www.rphfsolidwastedistrict.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pickaway News Journal
