Why are recyclables not sorted out at the landfill?

The Sanitary Landfill is regulated by the Ohio EPA and the landfill is currently not permitted to recycle on location. Additionally, sorting recyclable materials out of mixed materials ("trash") produces materials that are difficult to sell on the commodity market. The recycling industry is volatile and it's already very difficult to run a successful recycling operation, finding a buyer in the region who will accept highly contaminated materials for recycling is difficult to manage successfully. 

The best economic and environmental option is for residents, students, and businesses to reduce, reuse, and recycle while minimizing how much they landfill.

Show All Answers

1. What's accepted for recycling?
2. What's not accepted for recycling?
3. Why can't I bag my recyclables?
4. Why is it important to flatten cardboard boxes before placing them in my container?
5. How do I recycle in my community?
6. I live in an apartment, condo or other multi-family housing unit and don't have curbside. Where can I recycle?
7. What happens during the recycling process?
8. How does a recycling facility work?
9. What's our county's recycling rate?
10. Why is recycling important?
11. I recycle everything, even if I'm not sure if it's accepted. Is this okay?
12. How do I recycle items not accepted?
13. What do I do with my yard waste?
14. How do I recycle plastic bags?
15. Is there anywhere I can recycle #5 plastics?
16. What does a recycling symbol on a product mean?
17. What do the numbers of plastics mean?
18. Why aren't napkins, paper towels, or tissues accepted for recycling?
19. Why aren't coffee cups accepted?
20. Why isn't Styrofoam accepted?
21. What do I do with prescription drugs?
22. When are pizza boxes not accepted?
23. How can I report illegal dumping and littering?
24. Why are aluminum and steel cans accepted but other metals aren't?
25. Why are beverage/food cartons accepted?
26. What's made from recycled plastic bottles?
27. What's made from recycled aluminum cans?
28. What's made from recycled glass?
29. What's made from recycled cartons?
30. I've heard of a circular economy, but what exactly does that mean?
31. I want to reduce and reuse! What should I do?
32. Why are recycling and landfill bins sometimes emptied into the same container?
33. Why are recyclables not sorted out at the landfill?