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Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District
2004 Annual Report
From the Director
2004 marked the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District's tenth year in
operation. We are very proud of our accomplishments during our first decade.
At our formation we set out to provide innovative and high quality recycling
programs for the communities, residents, and businesses of Cuyahoga
County. Listed below are a few of our "firsts":
- 1993 Phone book recycling program created.
- 1994 Cooperative marketing program for recyclables created.
- 1995 Household hazardous waste collection program created.
- 1998 Scrap tire recycling program created.
- 1999 Mercury collection program created.
- 2000 Computer recycling program created.
- 2002 Thermometer exchange program created.
- 2003 Scrap Tire Sweep created.
- 2004 Trash Oscar awards created
All of our programs were designed to increase recycling opportunities and
build on the existing waste management services of local governments and the
private sector. Many of our programs served as a model for other waste
districts in Ohio. As a result, the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District was
honored for these achievements by receiving the
Outstanding Organization Leadership Award at the Ohio Partners for Sustainability conference last
October.
This year, the Solid Waste District must submit its updated Solid Waste
Management Plan to the Ohio EPA for approval. As we prepare the Plan, we will
need to decide what role the District will play in the next decade. As we
consider our future role, we will be guided by our Solid Waste Policy
Committee and Technical Advisory Committee. We will also use the feedback
provided by service directors and recycling managers at our Trash Talk lunch
last August. Our steadfast commitment remains to expand recycling opportunities
through cutting edge programming and to increase recycling participation, educate
waste generators about the importance and value of recycling, and help provide
for the most cost-effective and environmentally safe solid waste system for
Cuyahoga County.
2004 Highlights
And the Oscar goes to...
The Solid Waste District staff got to play the role of the "Academy" when we
held our inaugural Trash Oscars in April. We
awarded ten Oscars to communities and service department employees whose
recycling activities and 2003 Recycling Report exhibited leadership and
quality.
During a light-hearted awards luncheon that spoofed the Academy Awards, winners
accepted their awards while Oscar the Grouch sang "I Love Trash". Each winner
received an Oscar the Grouch trophy and a declaration from the County
Commissioners.
And the winners were...
| Ed Butler, City of Solon |
Lifetime Recycling Achievement Award |
| City of Pepper Pike |
Lead Community in a Recycling Role |
| Village of Cuyahoga Heights |
Best Adaptation of a Recycling Program |
| Village of Moreland Hills |
Best Supporting Community in a Recycling Role |
| Karen Ortiz (City of Berea) |
Best Supporting Actress in a Recycling Role |
| Dennis Weber (City of Brecksville) |
Best Supporting Actor in a Recycling Role |
| Barb McGinty, City of Lakewood |
Best Art Direction in a Recycling Program |
| City of Bay Village |
Best Visual Effects for a Recycling Report |
| City of Cleveland Heights |
Best Original Screenplay on a Recycling Report |
| Bob Zahuranec (Village of Glenwillow) |
Honorary Oscar for a Recycling Report |
Residential Recycling Report
In April, the Solid Waste District published its third annual
Residential Recycling Report for
Cuyahoga County. The report documented the recycling rates of the 59
communities in Cuyahoga County so public officials and residents could see
their community compares with others and how they contribute to meeting
Ohio's 25% recycling goal.
The report showed that communities recycled more than 192,342 tons of materials
like paper, plastic, glass, cans and yard waste in 2003. This translated to
a 21.75% recycling rate.
Since we first started publishing the report in 2001, community recycling
increased by 42,113 tons annually. We attribute this to the friendly
competition started among communities to out recycle their neighbors.
Way to go!
Trash Talk Lunch
Eat Lunch. Talk Trash. Share and Compare. Network and Learn. This was the
idea behind the Trash Talk Lunch. These mini workshops, hosted by the Solid
Waste District, bring together municipal service directors and recycling
managers to learn about the latest trends in recycling and waste management.
In 2004, we hosted three lunches that were attended by representatives of forty
cities. Topics raged from automated collection trends and safety campaigns
to motor oil recycling and deer composting...yum! Our trashy lunches have
proven to be a popular way for those of us in the solid waste management
industry to learn from each other and encourage excellence in the field.
Earth Day to Earth Day Poster Contest
640 students submitted their best environmental artwork for the District's
inaugural Earth Day Poster Contest.
Contest winners will be made into an Earth Day calendar to be published in
honor of Earth Day, 2005. The eight winners include:
| Kevin Russell, Pearl Road Elementary, Parma Heights |
1st Grade Winner |
| Lausha Cruz, West Side Boys & Girls Club, Cleveland |
2nd Grade Winner |
| Gabby Schubert, St. Thomas More School, Brooklyn |
3rd Grade Winner |
| Nicholas Labate, St. Richard School, North Olmsted |
4th Grade Winner |
| Joey Bates, Pleasant Valley Elementary, Parma |
5th Grade Winner |
| Caij Dixon, Randallwood School, Warrensville Heights |
6th Grade Winner |
| Julia Wolf, Holy Family School, Parma |
7th Grade Winner |
| Danielle Flemister, St. Adalbert School, Cleveland |
8th Grade Winner |
Paper Marketing Cooperative
2004 was the tenth year of the Paper Marketing Cooperative. This coop was
organized by the District to collectively market newspapers, magazines and
other household paper collected by city recycling programs. By collectively
selling the paper to a recycler, participating cities are able to get better
prices than they would on their own. During the first ten years, the fourteen
cities who comprise the cooperative recycled 72,412 tons of paper and earned
$1.3 million in revenue. In 2004, the contract was re-bid and the community
members will be earning more than ever for their paper, up to $45 per ton.
Scrap Tire Sweep
With a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Solid Waste
District conducted a mini Scrap Tire Sweep
to clean up illegally dumped tires in the City of Cleveland. Working with the
community development corporations to identify the location of tire dumps, the
District coordinated the removal of 6,566 tires from 128 dump sites in twelve
wards. To help in this effort, Court Community Service provided the labor to
pick up the tires while Liberty Tire Services of Ohio provided transportation
and recycling services.
Tires collected during the Sweep were recycled into playground surface products
by GroundScape Technologies in Brooklyn Heights. This mini tire sweep followed
a larger tire clean up held in 2003 where over 107,000 tires were removed from
327 dump sites in Cuyahoga County.
District Finances 2004
The Solid Waste District is funded by a "generation fee," which is a $1.00
charge levied on each ton of solid waste generated in Cuyahoga County and
landfilled in Ohio. This revenue is used to implement the Cuyahoga County
Solid Waste Management Plan through programs and services provided to the
community.
| Total "Generation Fee" Revenue |
$2,046,320.19 |
| Total District Expenditures |
$1,819,172.00 |
| Expense Breakdown |
| 1. |
Personnel |
$326,065.28 |
| 2. |
District Programs and Services |
$637,291.48 |
| 3. |
District Operating Expenses |
$123,159.48 |
| 4. |
Solid Waste Planning |
$205,463.51 |
| 5. |
Solid Waste Facility Inspections |
$476,314.00 |
| 6. |
Indirect County Fees |
$50,878.33 |
2004 Collection Stats
The Solid Waste District sponsors county-wide recycling collection events for
various "special wastes". Here is what we recycled in 2004.
2004 Education Stats
Educating children, the public, and local officials about recycling and waste
management are important functions of the Solid Waste District.
Our Environmental Education Specialist offers
recycling presentations for
audiences of all ages and
environmental workshops and
materials for teachers.
We provide recycling information through printed materials, a recycling
hotline, web site and other technical services designed to increase recycling
awareness and participation.
Recycling Hotline: Staff responded to 4,432 recycling inquiries via the
District's Recycling Hotline.
Presentations: Staff conducted 147 recycling presentations for 12,638
students and adults.
Publications: Staff distributed 66,086 copies of its recycling
brochures and educational materials to the public.
Web Site: The District received 224,592 "hits" on its web site.
Contests: 2,675 students from 56 schools participated in the
District's contests and special events including: the Earth Day to Earth
Day Poster Contest, the Zero Waste Lunch Challenge, and the Plant Pride Not
Litter Clean Up.
Seminars: The District hosted three Trash Talk Lunch seminars for
local waste management officials from 40 cities.
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