On August 1, 1989, the City of Cincinnati began the very first curbside recycling program in Ohio. The scale was ambitious - 100,000 recycling bins arrived on a "bin barge" and were distributed to every one to four family unit household. With that green bin each household was able to reduce their waste stream by 12%!

At the time, it was the largest voluntary curbside program in the Midwest and eighteen years later, Cincinnati's curbside program remains a model for other cities across the nation. It is one of only 700 municipalities to offer free, co-mingled curbside recycling in the United States. In 2003, the City of Cincinnati expanded its contract to include all mixed paper, including junk mail, paperboard, and office paper. In 2006, the City received the "Best Community Recycling Program" award by Hamilton County's Solid Waste District.

Since the program's inception in 1989, over four hundred and forty five million pounds have been diverted from the landfill. What are the environmental benefits of those pounds recycled?
* We have reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 119,047 cars off the road for a whole year
* We have saved enough energy to power 46,431 houses for a year
* We have reduced air pollution by 257,723 tons and water pollution by 959 tons
* We saved 13,244 tons of natural resources and saved 1,439,838 trees

Approximately 39% of homeowners participate in the curbside recycling program, and many more take advantage of the five recycling drop-off locations positioned throughout the City. The curbside program currently diverts 9.19% of all waste from the landfill. The City has partnered with Rumpke Recycling, Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District, and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful to increase the diversion rate to 10% by the end of the year. That means we need more residents to begin recycling.

For anyone in the 'Nati looking to make recycling a more integral part of their lives, this e-newsletter is an overview of the basic services available in the area as well as some of the finer and more advanced initiatives that have emerged in recent years.

To learn more about recycling in Cincinnati, you can contact Shirley Phillips at 352-4385.

Recycling a ton of "waste" has twice the economic impact of burying it in the ground. In addition, recycling one additional ton of waste will pay $101 more in salaries and wages, produce $275 more in goods and services, and generate $135 more in sales than disposing of it in a landfill. And don't even get me started with the positive environmental impact.

Recycling is a design principal, a law of nature, a source of creativity, and a source of prosperity. And we all should be involved in it. Changing social behaviors is not simple but it is easier when you take action and do your part by pointing out unacceptable practices. Think of throwing away a soda can in the middle of Fountain Square as socially unacceptable as if you were rooting for the Steelers in a Ben Roethlisberger jersey in Paul Brown Stadium.

So Get a Bin and Use It! Just call 591-6000 or click here today.

The Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District sponsors a free computer recycling event through December, 28, 2007. You can drop off your computers (and computer accessories) at:

Technology Recycling Group
5139 Kieley Place
St. Bernard, OH 45217
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday

This service is for Hamilton County residents only, so please bring proof of residency such as a driver's license or utility bill.

If you have questions, you can call 946-7766 or visit www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org.

To learn more click here

The average home has 60 - 100 pounds of hazardous waste stored in the basement, garage, or under the sink. Improper storage or disposal can cause accidental poisonings and environmental damage.

This program is for Hamilton County residents only! Participants must show proof of Hamilton County residency. If you have any questions please call 513-946-7700 or click here to email Susan Schumacher.

Dates & Locations

Environmental Enterprises, Inc.
4650 Spring Grove Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45232
(enter directly across from Winton Road)
Tuesdays - 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursdays - 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Saturdays - 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Closed September 1st

Environmental Enterprises, Inc.
10163 Cincinnati-Dayton Road
Cincinnati, OH 45241

Wednesdays - 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

To learn more click here

Did you know that only 2.5 million phones are collected to be recycled or reused, accounting for less than 1 percent of the millions retired or discarded each year? Why not do something good for the environment instead?

With more than 200 million wireless U.S. subscribers today, the need to keep used cell phones out of local landfills is more important than ever. The Wipe Out Wireless Waste campaign enables Keep Cincinnati Beautiful (KCB) to generate proceeds for local community projects.

How it works: It is very easy! Encourage your friends, neighbors, and family to recycle their no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories. KCB will provide you with pre-paid envelopes that can be mailed in directly. Email Josman Rodriguez or call him at 352-4383 to get your envelopes. You can also set up your own container, collect the wireless phones/accessories and bring them to KCB.

To learn more click here

The Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District will be collecting unwanted TVs and related equipment from Hamilton County residents on Thursday, October 11th and Friday 12th only. Residents MUST pre-register by clicking here, or by calling 946-7719 before September 25th. Participation is limited and is available on a first come, first serve basis.

Two weeks prior to the event, registered participants will receive an event confirmation and voucher in the mail. Residents must bring this voucher to the event. Directions and a map will be included in the confirmation.

TVs brought before or after the event will be charged a $30 per unit recycling fee. Staff will be present to unload the equipment.

Acceptable items include:
- Televisions* - all sizes, consoles, and combination units (limit two)
- DVD players, VCRs, DVRs, satellite receivers, cable receivers.
*Residents bringing more than two TVs will be charged a $30 per unit recycling fee.

For more info please call 946-7719 or visit www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org

* $25 Individual

* $40 Group/Organization

* $100 Sponsor

* $500 Corporate

It's easy to donate! Visit our website and click on "Make a Donation". From there, you can designate your sponsorship level - simply write it in under "comments". You can also send a check or money order to: Keep Cincinnati Beautiful c/o Friends 801 Plum Street, Room 16 Cincinnati, OH 45202.

Thanks for being a friend to Keep Cincinnati Beautiful!

From The Economist June 2007 print edition

As the importance of recycling becomes more apparent, questions about it linger. Is it worth the effort? How does it work? Is recycling waste just going into a landfill in China? Here are some answers.

IT IS an awful lot of trash. Since 1960 the amount of municipal waste being collected in America has nearly tripled, reaching 245m tons in 2005. In 1980 America recycled only 9.6% of its municipal rubbish; today the rate stands at 32%. Even so, when a city introduces a curbside recycling program, the sight of all those recycling trucks trundling around can raise doubts about whether the collection and transportation of waste materials requires more energy than it saves.

If done right, there is no doubt that recycling saves energy and raw materials, and reduces pollution. But as well as trying to recycle more, it is also important to try to recycle better. As technologies and materials evolve, there is room for improvement and cause for optimism. In the end waste is really a design flaw.

Click here to learn more

10 TIPS TO GREEN YOUR RECYCLING
by Team Treehugger, Worldwide on 01.31.07

1. First things first, a little R & R & R
The aphorism is so tired it almost might seem like "reduce, reuse, recycle" should go without saying. But in fact, most of us have only really heard the last third of the phrase, and the three "R's" are ranked in order of importance. Reducing the amount that we consume, and shifting our consumption to well-designed products and services, is the first step. Finding constructive uses for "waste" materials is next. And tossing it in the bin is last. Through a balance of these three principals you can easily see your landfill-destined waste dwindle fast.

Click here to see more Recycling Tips