Although the District wants to continue expansion of the successful reuse and recycling programs initiated in the past several years, due to financial restraints, we are reviewing the cost-efficiency of all programs. Since 2007, the District has witnessed a significant decline in revenue generation, and thus we are closely reviewing various waste reduction strategies to make sure that they are productive and cost-effective. Any adjustments made in the number and type of reuse and recycling programs offered will have to be approved by both the Board of County Commissioners and the Ohio EPA, which oversees the District’s compliance with the ratified and approved Solid Waste Plan Update. Most importantly, the District must offer ample opportunities for residents, businesses, and industries to effectively reduce solid waste in an environmentally responsible manner.

In the future and through the cooperation of Allied Waste Industries, we will supply residents in the curbside communities with 65-gallon toters to replace the small bins that are both bothersome to transport to the curb and limited in space. The toters will have wheels for easy maneuvering, and in addition to all the current materials that can be placed in the bins, corrugated cardboard will be added. This includes pizza boxes without the left-over pizza!

The District is proud to provide residents and businesses with the FREE Materials Exchange program through our affiliation with the YSU re:CREATE program headed by Sarah Ellis. In addition, the District supports the reuse initiatives of the Habitat for Humanity RESTORE whereby unwanted doors, window frames, sections of lumber, and other construction materials are made available for others to purchase at vastly reduced prices. Habitat uses the funds for continuation of their mission of providing housing for those in need - an excellent example of recycling.

The District will continue to seek partnerships with private companies that create new products from secondary materials, process recyclables, or participate in a similar fashion in order to provide more stable markets for reuse and recyclable items. We will continue to be aggressive in seeking new grant funding sources, and expand our excellent relationship with current sources such as the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention. Discovering new sources of revenue is vital as the District’s current revenue generating source continues to decline. The District will do everything possible to continue to provide residents, businesses, and industries with the most innovative and cost-effective reuse and recycling programs possible.