Lawrence recycling program growing

IRONTON — No one had to convince Susan and Bruce Brown of the importance of recycling.

“We’re concerned about the environment,” Susan Brown said Monday. “We go to the recycling bins three or four times a week. Recycling reduces the number of materials going into the landfills.”

The Browns also have staked out a section of County Road 44S in Upper Township for cleanup. They have organized two cleanups the past two Aprils and take plastic garbage bags with them when they walk their dog and pick up litter along the road.

The material that can be recycled they take to recycling bins at the headquarters of the Ironton Ranger District of the Wayne National Forest or at the Ohio University-Southern campus in Ironton.

Attitudes like that shown by the Browns have led to an increasing use of the recycling bins sponsored by the Lawrence-Scioto Joint Solid Waste District. There are 12 recycling sites in Lawrence County and 19 in Scioto County. In the past year-and-a-half, the number of recycling bins the district puts out has increased from 29 to 48, said Dan Palmer, district director.

The amount of recyclable materials collected by Rumpke has increased from 10 tons in December 2006 to 127 tons in May of this year, he said. “That’s a fantastic increase in the past 18 months.”

People don’t have to separate their old newspapers and office papers, magazines, cardboard, aluminum and steel cans and plastic bottles and containers before recycling them in the bins, Palmer said. The materials are separated at the recycling center.

“Plastic bottles don’t biodegrade, so we want to keep them out of the landfills,” Palmer said. “The bottles can be melted down and used again. People are realizing that recycling is the thing to do.”

Two areas where the recycling bins have done well are at the Food Fair in Rome Township and the Sam’s and Wal-Mart area of Fayette Township, Palmer said. The number of bins has been increased from one to five at the Food Fair, and the materials are picked up twice a week, he said. The number of bins at Sam’s has increased from one to four.

“We’re thinking about adding three more in the Ironton area, including another at the Southern Campus,” Palmer said.

Stephanie Helms, the district’s education specialist, has gone to local schools to talk about the benefits of recycling for the past three years.

“The younger kids are more receptive,” she said. “They get excited about recycling.”

She’s also working on a $35,000 grant for the Chesapeake school district for two recycling bins and recycling containers for school rooms in the district. “If it gets funded, they’ll have a self-sustained recycling program. We hope to hear about the grant in November and if we get it, can start the program in January.”

The solid waste district also has about 30 local groups in Lawrence County participating in monthly cleanups like the Browns do. “We have church groups and scout groups participating, too,” Palmer said.