Rethinking recycling after a trip to Cincinnati (2024)

By Anne Majka

The Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub(CRRH) is a place where almost anything can be reused or recycled. The CRRH’s goal is to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills by being a drop-off location for items that are recyclable or reusable, far beyond what is accepted in typical curbside recycling.

Since the nonprofit was founded in 2020, they have diverted 465 tons of waste from landfills, and 188 tons in 2023 alone. Of that 188 tons diverted in 2023, 80 tons were reused and 100 tons were recycled.

The CRRH has many partners to help recycle and reuse these materials. Some include rigid plastics nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, un-numbered rigid plastics, flexible plastic film and several forms of styrofoam. Its partners also recycle batteries, lightbulbs, tires, many forms of electronics, electronic media waste and plastic film. One of its partners, Blue Jeans Go Green, recycles denim into insulation, pet beds and other items. Additionally, pill bottles are donated to Matthew 25 Ministries for reuse.

Another aspect of the CRRH is TerraCycle, which is a foundation that recycles waste not typically recyclable locally. These are often name brands that are recycled into raw materials and sold to manufacturing companies that produce the end product and complete the recycling process. By working with brands and retailers, the recycling process is more easily funded.

The Hanley Sustainability Institute Summer Fellows recently visited the CRRH to volunteer and take a tour, and an aspect of the volunteering was sorting and checking items for TerraCycle. After volunteering, we toured the CRRH to see the various aspects of their unique recycling system and processes. This included sorting areas for those who drop off items, as well as a reuse shopping area. If you are interested in dropping off recycling items here or shopping in their reuse section, check out their website or stop by 12-6 p.m. on Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays.

The CRRH goes above and beyond how we envision recycling and inspires in the movement of sustainability. Implementing a program similar to this or building a partnership with the CRRH would be a great way for the University of Dayton to grow in its sustainability and waste reduction efforts. Many of these “hard-to-recycle” items,commonly used on campus, are not accepted in curbside recycling. These could be recycled if the university had a partnership or program dedicated to this practice. Additionally, it could help educate and inspire students to rethink recycling well beyond their years at the University of Dayton.

While it is great to have a resource that recycles the unimaginable, it is also important to remember that hubs like this are not widespread and accessible to all. Reducing your consumption and consuming consciously is a necessary first step in the strive for a sustainable future. These “hard-to-recycle” items are not accepted in curbside recycling because, even though most complex trash can technically be recycled, it is often not profitable to recycle them.

The commonly known three R’s of sustainability are often not discussed at a proportionate level. Recycling is typically placed at a higher level and discussed more frequently than reducing and reusing, but it is in fact the third most important. It still is very important to recycle, however, reducing and reusing diverts more from landfills than recycling can. The most important step is reducing consumption. The second most important step is reusing, or giving items a second life to conserve resources and landfill dumping. While we often think we can just “buy a new one” or “get something better,” this mentality cannot sustain our future.

The throw-away culture and glamorization of consumerism is causing a global waste crisis. What we produce and consume often ends up in landfills, and as the waste decomposes in landfills, methane gas is released. Although methane has a relatively short lifespan of seven to 12 years in the atmosphere, a molecule of methane can trap much more heat than a molecule of carbon dioxide. This is why methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases and is the second-largest contributor to climate warming after carbon dioxide.

Everything thrown away goes somewhere, whether it is a landfill, the oceans, being burned into our atmosphere or elsewhere. Rethinking your consumption in a way that shifts away from consumerism, away from using items only once, away from disposables, away from microtrends and away from a culture of throwing things away when there is no “away” is necessary for meeting the needs of the present without compromising those of the future.

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