Columbus Board of Works members Tuesday approved a recycling transport and processing agreement with Rumpke of Indiana.
The agreement was approved in form and substance, giving Rumpke a provisional approval from the city to move forward with the construction of a concrete pad at the landfill. The pad will serve as a landing site for recyclables collected by the city before it is transported to a sorting facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Recycling is currently collected and taken to Got Rocks Landscaping Materials, where it is then transported to be sorted. The addition of the concrete pad will eliminate the expense of transportation to and use of the third-party facility, said Director of Public Works Bryan Burton, calling it a more “sustainable” and “cost-effective” option.
The pad will be 10,080-square-feet and screened in from view.
Mayor Mary Ferdon commended Burton during the meeting on finding a way to cut costs while upholding recycling efforts.
“There’s not much of a market for recycling,” she said. “We encourage people to recycle to keep the stuff out of the landfill, which saves us money in the long term, but to recycle costs us,” she said.
Once Rumpke completes the pad in late October or early November, Burton will present a new contract between Rumpke and the city to the board.
