City officials Tuesday finalized an agreement that sets the terms for the use of a concrete recycling pad Rumpke of Indiana recently finished building at the Bartholomew County Landfill.
Columbus Board of Public Works and Safety members approved a recycle transport and processing agreement with Rumpke that will allow the city to save on the costs of transporting recyclables as part of the Columbus Recycles program.
Recycling was previously collected and taken to Got Rocks Landscaping Materials on Indianapolis Road. The addition of the concrete pad will eliminate the expense of transportation to the third-party facility, city officials said, who called it a more sustainable and cost-effective option.
The city will pay Rumpke at a rate of $67 per ton for all recyclable materials transported and processed under the agreement, according to city documents. The agreement is for five years, with options for two renewals lasting five and three years respectively.
Rumpke is responsible for receiving and processing all recyclables material delivered by the city to the site, including unloading and handling.
The 10,080 square foot commercial recycling pad— built at Rumpke’s expense— is on the west side of the landfill, near an existing maintenance building. Director of Public Works Bryan Burton said that Wednesday will be the first day the city will be transporting recyclables there.
While the material is being taken to the county landfill, it won’t be disposed of there, serving instead as a landing site. Recyclables will then be sent to Rumpke’s recycling center in Cincinnati, Burton told board members.
Rumpke, as part of the agreement, agrees to accept all clean and dry glass, aluminum, cardboard, paper and plastic.
If you are wondering whether an item is recyclable, people are encouraged to download the Columbus Collects App and search within the Waste Wizard tool for item-specific instructions.
The recycling operation will add anywhere between 30 and 35 collection trucks per week to the landfill facility, as well as another three to five tractor trailer trucks per week, according to city documents.
The Columbus Board of Zoning Appeals in June approved a conditional use request from Rumpke to allow for the commercial recycling pad, plus another to expand the landfill by about 100 feet in height.
