‘Tis season to recycle

By ELLEN KOLMAN - Staff Writer - ekolman@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

December 17, 2008 07:51 pm

— JEFFERSON — Gifts wrapped in bright colored paper and bags are synonymous with the holiday season, but where does it all go after the holidays?
The Ashtabula County Solid Waste Management District Recycling and Community Services Office, located at 25 W. Jefferson St., Jefferson has a few practical suggestions.
“It is always best to carefully unwrap your presents and re-use the paper as many years as possible, the same goes for your gift bags,” said Jake Brand, of the Recycling and Community Services Office.
“The next best suggestion is to recycle your wrappings the same as you would paper, just do not recycle the foil wrapping paper, and any plastic on your gift bags remove first. Gift boxes that cannot be re-used flatten and recycle like cardboard,” he said.
Recycling fever is catching on in Ashtabula County, and Brand believes it is due to awareness, education and the current economic climate.
“Recycling saves money. As consumers if we can re-use our house-hold containers it saves money on the grocery bill, from an industry stand point if companies can utilize recycled materials, as opposed to purchasing original material, it saves them money,” Brand said. “Items made from aluminum are made from 95 percent recovered materials.”
The Ashtabula County Solid Waste District wants to remind residents interested in becoming “green” how to properly recycle their discards.
“A negative effect of the economy on recyclables is the demand for recycled items has slowed, so it is imperative that our bins are contaminant free. If a portion of a load is contaminated, the entire load may be sent to a landfill,” Brand said.
This means do not mix garbage or unacceptable items with the recyclables, these include: paper egg cartons, frozen food boxes, pizza boxes, books, any unrinsed plastic container that contained food, soda or milk, lids, plastic bags, Styrofoam, plastic containers used for automotive products, paint, chemicals, solvents, lawn care products, toys, or other plastics, window glass, light bulbs, mirrors, broken glass, drinking glasses or dishes.
Thanks to the efforts of the Ashtabula County Solid Waste District, residents now have many drop-off recycling sites available. These include: Andover Village Hall at 134 Maple St., Ashtabula area, Donahoe Center, C Court, on Route 20, Ashtabula City, 501 W. 24th St., Austinburg, Austinburg Township Garage at 1393 Route 45, Conneaut area, Water Distribution Department, 513 Clark St., Recycling Center, 859 Lake Road, Save-A-Lot, 350 W. Main Road; Geneva area, 700 Austin Road, Geneva-on-the-Lake, behind the Fire Hall, Harpersfield Township, Township Garage, 5430 Route 307 W., Jefferson at Village Garage, 221 N. Market St., Morgan Township, Outpost Building at 2844 Route 45, Orwell at Township Garage, 2693 Route 322, Pierpont Township, Sheffield Township, Fire Hall at 3636 Sheffield/Monroe Road and Windsor Township, Township Garage at 5122 Route 534. The newest site at the Saybrook Township Garage, 7247 Center Road, will be open soon. All sites are open during daylight hours only, seven days per week. For more information on specific times or recycling call (440)576-3825.

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