With spring just around the corner, turn your attention to spring cleaning. The city has made that task a bit easier with its introduction last year of simple recycling, which will collect your soft recyclable materials, such as clothes and small household items. All residents need to do is to place the items in the orange bags that have been provided and take it to the curb on the normal rubbish days. The items will be picked up and more orange bags provided. What could be more simple!
“Soft Recyclable means items of an individual weight less than fifty (50) pounds and can be carried by one person. Soft Recyclables include primarily men’s, women’s and children’s clothing as well as items such as jewelry, shoes, purses, hats, toys, pictures, mirrors, blankets, drapes and curtains, pillows, rags, sewing scraps, sleeping bags, small furniture, small appliances, irons, radios and audio equipment, TVs and video equipment, cameras, lamps, hair dryers, tools, toasters, microwaves, coffee makers, computers and household or consumer electronics, silverware, dishes, pots and pans, glasses and the like.”
Last spring, City Council unanimously adopted the legislation that allows Mayor Bob Stefanik to enter into an agreement for the curbside collection, recycling and disposition of soft recyclables with Great Lakes Recycling, Incorporated, also known as Simple Recycling. The agreement spans a four-year initial term, with future renewal possibilities. There is no cost to the city or residents for this service. The city will save money in tipping fees to the landfill for the items that may have normally been included with trash. Stefanik said other communities have utilized this service and have saved on the tonnage not going into the landfill. He said that since the program’s inception last June, the city has saved 44,107 pounds, which equates to over 22 tons that would have gone into the landfill. The city will also receive a contract fee of one cent per pound of gross receipts of soft recyclables collected.
Stefanik said that the option is a winning opportunity for all. “It keeps stuff out of the landfill and is great for those who don’t want to bother holding things until a collection is made.” The opportunity to recycle these goods will take place each week, when residents can simply place the items they wish to recycle in the provided bags and take them to the curb with their regular rubbish. The orange bags can be picked up at the city service departments or can be requested through Simple Recycling’s website or by calling 1-866-835-5068. Stefanik said that the new option will also appeal to those who embrace recycling. “This is just another step in recycling and in savings,” said North Royalton City Council President, Larry Antoskiewicz.
The program serves as an addition to the regular curbside recycling program through Rumpke Waste and Recycling, who also handles the city’s rubbish removal. Rumpke provided 64-gallon bins to pick up co-mingled recycling items. The following is a listing of the five types of items taken for regular curbside recycling:
•Food and beverage CANS – empty and rinse.
•Milk, juice and broth CARTONS – empty, rinse and replace cap.
• GLASS BOTTLES AND JARS – empty, rinse and replace cap.
•PAPER AND BOXES – include all paper, mail, magazines, newspaper cereal boxes and flattened cardboard. Do not include shredded paper.
• PLASTIC BOTTLES AND JUGS – empty, rinse and replace cap. Disregard the numbers on plastic. Recycle bottles and jugs only. Other plastics are not recyclable at this time.
Residents are reminded to place loose items into the bin, not bagged. All recyclables should be empty and clean. All boxes should be dry and broken down.
“We have some numbers on how much we have saved thanks to items which have been recycled and NOT placed in the landfills,” noted Ward 4 Councilman Paul Marnecheck in his newsletter. “From our Service Director, ‘the 2,444.41 tons is total recycled for 2017, that savings for 2017 was $107,187.37. For 2018 the total recycled is 2,671.63 tons, and that savings was $118,309.39.’ So, in the last two years, thanks to your commitment to the recycling program, the City has saved over a quarter million dollars.” Since the automated recycling program began in 2017, the recycling numbers have gone up dramatically. The year before the program began, the recycling accounted for 1,676.35 tons.
Residents who want to dispose of paper without including it in the curbside pickup can have it shredded. Each year shred events are offered to all North Royalton, non-business, residents at no cost. All that is needed is proper identification. Funding of these events is provided through a grant from the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. This year, the shredding events will be:
Saturday, April 20, 9 a.m. to Noon at North Royalton City Hall, 14600 State Road.
Saturday, September 21, 9 a.m. to Noon at North Royalton City Hall, 14600 State Road.
“Acceptable items include financial documents, bank statements, tax returns, credit card statements, expired credit cards, insurance forms and records, junk mail, family records and confident information. Staples and small paper clips are okay, but here’s a list of what you can’t bring: Newspapers, phone books, magazines, binders, books, pendaflex folders, food and candy wrappers, waxed paper, photographs, napkins and Styrofoam containers,” according to city officials.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer