ZERO WASTE
IN A RURAL SETTING
Logan County, Ohio
Grass Roots Recycling Conference
National Zero Waste Action Conference
Rockford, IL – June, 2012
Logan County Metrics - 2006
Population: 46,005
Bellefontaine is largest
city, population: 13,069
Strong Agriculture
Strong Industry
Strong Tourism
ZERO WASTE
IN A RURAL SETTING
• In Ohio each county must be part of a Solid
Waste District or Authority, either alone or with a
number of other counties.
• Ohio has 88 counties and 55 SWDs.
• Logan County is a single county SWD containing
a privately operated landfill owned by Republic
Services.
The Seeds of Change - 2006
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In the District Plan the Ohio
EPA required the opening of
one full-time recycling dropoff site and the attempt to
add curbside recycling to
one village.
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This provided the
opportunity to rethink the
concept of a full-time dropoff Recycling Center, then
design it, then build it – in
Lakeview, Ohio.
THEN AND NOW
2006
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Bellefontaine Curbside Recycling with PAYT
trash collection.
5 part time drop-off recycling sites open
Saturday mornings 4 hours.
HHW collection on 1 day per year.
Funding 100% from landfill tipping fees.
(Budget $1,000,000)
Paper recycling at schools collected in bags
by SWD.
Recycling 85 tons/month.
4 Full-time employees.
Diversion rate around 23%.
2011
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Working toward County Wide Goal of zero
waste to landfill by 2020.
Bellefontaine and West Liberty Curbside
Recycling with PAYT trash collection.
14 full-time Recycling Centers always open.
CHARM – Center for Hard to Recycle
Materials collects HHW 12 times with
electronics collected every day.
Funding from landfill now 33% of revenues,
approx. $389,000. (Budget $1,170,000)
All school districts fully engaged in recycling
with collection trailers stationed at
campuses.
Recycling 325 to 350 tons/month.
9 Full-time employees.
District owns and operates a dual-stream
MRF and our own transportation system.
New Office and Educational Center.
Diversion rate at 66%.
ZERO WASTE
IN A RURAL SETTING
• What Happened !!
– Toured Honda Manufacturing, Green Factory Initiative
& Zero Waste Goals, 2006
– NRC Conference in Atlanta in 2006, met Eric
Lombardi and took the zero waste challenge; it made
perfect sense.
– March, 2007 Logan County Commissioners pass
Zero Waste Resolution.
– Then we went to work building a dynamic recycling
system in a rural county.
The Lakeview Recycling Center
Opened Earth Day, 2007
Never closed, no fences
Large 33-yd. roll-off containers for
free recycling paper, OCC, comingle.
PAYT dumpsters for trash.
Vending machine to sell PAYT
trash bags.
Security cameras 24/7.
Garden ambiance, clean, friendly.
ZERO WASTE
IN A RURAL SETTING
Borrow & Build for the Future
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In February, 2008 at the depth of
the recession the Commissioners
authorized borrowing $2,000,000
from a commercial bank to build a
recycling system in the county.
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In March, 2008 we purchased an
idle lumber yard with 4+ acres of
land to become the hub of county
recycling activities; with a MRF,
office, and educational center.
Building the System 2008 - 2010
• Built 12 additional
Recycling Centers
covering all major
population areas.
($40,000 to $65,000 each)
• Built & operate a Material
Recovery Center (MRF)
(Cost $235,000)
Building the System 2008 - 2010
• Operate a 8,000 sq. ft.
Educational Center with
tours of MRF.
• Opened the District Office
in the remodeled lumber
yard in April, 2011.
(Total cost for both $218,000)
ZERO WASTE
IN A RURAL SETTING - REVENUES
ZERO WASTE IN A RURAL SETTING
WHERE WE’RE HEADING
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Zero Waste by 2020, or sooner.
Organic composting, 2012 – 2015.
Consolidation of operations; efficiencies.
Digging deeper to mine recyclables everywhere.
New markets for materials to accept more.
Educate consumer purchasing to avoid waste.
Odds & Ends
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We provide $50,000 annual support to Engineer Department.
We provide $50,000 annual support to Health District.
We provide $9,500 in annual scholarships and teacher grants.
We operate Litter Prevention and Road Clean Up programs.
We operate an annual Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River.
We have an active web site: www.logancountyrecycles.com
Logan County Recycling
Conveniently located near your home.
Always open, we’re ready when you are.
Contact information
Logan County Solid Waste Management District
1100 S. Detroit St., Bellefontaine, Ohio 43311
Telephone: 937-599-1253
www.logancountyrecycles.com