Misuse of the Aim To Be Green Recycling Program

The Ottawa Sandusky Seneca Solid Waste Management District spends around $775,000 a year to fund the Aim To Be Green recycling program which is designed to bring recycling opportunities to township residents who have few options for recycling of everyday household materials. Misuse of this program by businesses and residents that live inside city limits who have the option for city curbside recycling, or have resorted to illegal dumping of non-recyclable items, has caused the cost for the district to fund it to increase immensely. The program has 42 Aim To Be Green sites and can experience issues from a lack of size and labor capacity to accommodate the populations of neighboring cities. This is adding to a lower quality of service for the residents the sites are intended for. City residents of Port Clinton, Fremont, Bellevue and Tiffin all have curbside recycling options currently available to them. Please utilize those curbside subscription services provided by the city, according to a release. Clyde and Fostoria city residents are encouraged to speak to their city administrators about getting curbside recycling options for their communities. Likewise, the Aim To Be Green recycling program is not a free service for local businesses to take their waste materials. Businesses have the option to pick from a multitude of recycling haulers to pick up their material at their convenience. The District's program cannot afford to handle the increase in material from businesses. Dropping off materials at the Aim To Be Green township sites that are not recyclable is contamination and labeled as illegal dumping. Filling these bins with unwanted waste costs the District money which ultimately takes away from further recycling programs for all residents. Violators of illegal dumping can be prosecuted. The Aim To Be Green township recycling program is only for residents of the township. No businesses or industries are allowed. Information labeled on the bins is detailed and accurately states what is and isn't accepted. The only items that should be inside the bins include: • Glass bottles and jars, all colors. • Metal cans: aluminum, steel cans and lids, empty aerosol cans with the lids and tips removed.• Plastic bottles (empty, crush, reattach lid): bottles and jugs that have a small mouth and wider base, such as milk jugs, soda bottles, laundry detergent bottles, water bottles, shampoo bottles and contact solution bottles.• Plastic tubs: containers for butter, sour cream cottage cheese, yogurt, Jell-O and fruit slices would fall into the tub category. Lids should be reattached prior to recycling.• Plastic cups (remove/discard straw, reattach lid): fast food beverage cups. • Paper: newspaper, magazines, cardboard, mixed office paper and envelopes, paperboard (cereal boxes), pizza boxes free of food debris and grease, telephone books and catalogs.• Paper cups (remove/discard lids, straws and stoppers): fast food beverage cups, coffee cups, Dixie cups.• Cartons: food and beverage cartons, such as milk, juice, soup, wine, broth and other cartons. If you have any recycling questions you can reach out to the District and they would be happy to help you with proper disposal methods. You can contact the District by calling 419-334-7222 or emailing ossonline@recycleoss.org. Contact the district for recycling information and events at www.recycleoss.org.