Pick-Up Your Recycling Rate with a Community Drop-Off
In the last few years, community recycling drop-offs have popped up all over Hamilton County and with good reason. The drop-offs are inexpensive, easy to use, and have proven to increase recycling rates.
Over a third of Hamilton County communities now have recycling drop-offs, with 41 drop-offs available to residents countywide. Residents find the newer drop-offs easy to use because they can mix all the recyclables into one container – no sorting is required. Communities like recycling drop-offs because they make a valuable service available to residents requiring little or no staff time.
Many communities with subscription-based curbside recycling find drop-offs very successful. Residents in subscription communities, who do not wish to pay the extra cost for curbside recycling service, prefer to have a no cost recycling option. Communities with contracted curbside recycling also find drop-offs successful because the drop-off makes recycling available to residents living in apartments and condos not eligible for curbside service.
Despite the popularity of recycling drop-offs, some communities wonder if the sites will become dumping grounds for non-recyclable items. Fortunately, all of the communities interviewed said illegal dumping is a very rare occurrence. The biggest problem communities report: that the drop-offs are so popular they end up adding more containers or additional pick-ups to deal with the volume.
If your community is interested in setting up a recycling drop-off, first consider where to locate the containers. Near the municipal building, in a park, or on community property is ideal. Centrally locate the drop-off in an area well-known to residents. If community property is unavailable, consider requesting a corner of a parking lot from a local business. Once the drop-off is in place, remember to monitor the location and be prepared to expand if necessary. Visit www.hamiltoncountyrecycles.org to see a list of all communities with recycling drop-offs.
