Is our recycling actually recycled? What to know about waste management in Oxford
Not everything that goes into a recycling bin ends up recycled. Here's what you can do locally to increase the odds that your recycling doesn't end up in a landfill.
It’s a common rumor in Oxford that the recycling we send out only ends up in a landfill, but is that actually true?
It’s not hard to find places to recycle, especially on Miami’s campus. Off-campus homes often have curbside recycling, and some apartment complexes offer the service. So what happens to those cans and bottles that people throw in the bin?
Rumpke Waste and Recycling handles Oxford’s trash. Molly Yager, Rumpke’s communications manager, says that about 75% of homes participate in curbside recycling.
“On average, we collect 14.5 tons of recycling per week from Oxford residents, which would amount to just shy of 800 tons per year,” Yager said.
However, not all of that waste can be recycled. Material can be contaminated when too much of any given load is made up of non-recyclable material or has food waste included in it.
Reena Murphy, Oxford’s sustainability coordinator, says that this problem can be avoided.
“Part of it is just double checking if the thing you're about to throw out is recyclable,” Murphy said. “And I don't know if you've heard the phrase, when in doubt, throw it out. If you're not sure, lean towards landfill.”
Most of the material recycled from Oxford goes on to be reused within Ohio itself, Murphy said.
Rumpke’s recycling services are easy to get if you live in a home, and cost less than $20 per month. Piper Reis, a student at Miami, pays for recycling at their off-campus home.
“Recycling was really easy,” Reis said. “ We just set it up through the City of Oxford.”
Last November, Oxford City Council agreed to a new contract with Rumpke for the city’s waste and recycling services. Under the agreement, recycling services include $16.53 in residential charges, but the city has absorbed some of the most recent cost increase itself. Not every property manager with apartment buildings currently recycles. The new contract aims to incentivize recycling by eliminating administrative fees for recycling dumpsters, making it cheaper to recycle than to send waste to the landfill.
Reis, like many residents, understands the importance of recycling on the environment.
“It's just a nice emotional comfort to know that I'm doing my part,” Reis said.
For people who aren't as aware of recycling, Yager says there's not just an environmental benefit.
“Recycling has many benefits from conserving landfill space, natural resources and energy to job creation,” Yager said.
For people whose residences do not provide recycling, there are free dumpsters to use in the Ditmer parking lot and behind the T.J. Maxx.
