It is with great sadness, that the residents of Paulding County must say good bye to our friends at Erie Recycling. Robb and Kathy Gerken, have decided to close down the business after 10 years of serving the recycling needs of our County. I know I can speak for our recycling community when I say, “thank you so much for your efforts in providing a safe and convenient 24/7, drop-off facility for all of our material, and we certainly wish you the best.”
As a result, we will have a bit of a different look to our Program moving forward. With maneuvering of dates, recruiting some students/parents that are part of our 4-H and Homeschooling Clubs and relying on our ever-faithful Boy Scout Troop 315, we are going to be just fine as we continue to provide recycling opportunities around the County. This is what we have lined up so far, so please be sure and take note of location/date changes that could affect you.
Paulding Fairgrounds will remain the 1st Saturday of the month from 9-11 at the same location. Our Leaders of Tomorrow 4-H Club will now be in charge of that pickup.
Grover Hill pickup (no longer will include Haviland) at the VFW will now be the 2nd Saturday of the month from 9-11 and will be directed by our Homeschoolers Club of Paulding County.
Payne pickup at the Park will remain the 3rd Saturday from 9-11 and be staffed by our Boy Scout Troop 315.
Antwerp
At this time, we have no clubs that have been able to commit to providing service on the 4th Saturday. I have been in contact with a number of entities and am hopeful of getting a “yes” very soon. The first pickup with the big trailers will be the last Saturday of July, IF we’re able to find a club/clubs willing to take on the timeslot. This is a fluid situation with tweaking going on everyday so remain patient as we iron out the details. Worst case scenario, I’ll come over during the week to accommodate as many folks as possible. Obviously, having Saturday pickups is very desirable because it’s much more convenient and will result in higher volume. I believe we’ll get there, it’s just going to take some time.
Starting in July, the 3rd Wed of the month will now include
Cecil 11:30-12:00 (Fire Station)
Junction 12:30-1:00 (Old Catholic Church)
Haviland 1:30-2:00 (Park on 114)
Latty 2:30-3:00 (Park by the Village Meeting Hall)
As we all adjust to this new schedule, I would like to include a few reminders:
1. Absolutely, no material will be picked up off the ground. All of the students/parents have been instructed to NOT process any bags, etc.. that are present when they arrive. This is an issue of safety. I work very hard to keep our volunteers from any accidents that can result from unseen insects, any snakes that have taken up residence, material that has been urinated on overnight by our nocturnal friends, hidden steel cans with lids that have not been pushed down inside the can, etc.. The County does not provide insurance for any of our volunteers so if an accident occurs, the financial hardship will fall on the family. I want to avoid that at all costs so please work with me to keep our kids and fantastic volunteers safe. I wish I was able to accommodate everyone’s schedule but we do the best we can so I’m hopeful you’re able to respect that.
2. Please sort all of your material. I am trying to provide as many opportunities for pickups around the County as possible. If I have to spend time sorting, it cuts down on time for pickups. I’ve been able to add 9 additional pickups to an already challenging schedule because so many of you have made a concerted effort to sort your recycling before bringing it. Thank you so much for doing that! You are appreciated.
3. Remember to sort your clear milk jugs/vinegar containers from the rest of your number 2 plastics. White milk jugs go in with your number 2 plastics. Some of our faithful, Junction recyclers, actually number the bags for me so I know if it’s a 1 or a 2. You guys are the best!
4. STAY PATIENT! We’re going to have some new faces so let’s encourage them in their efforts. I am delighted to be able to make donations to these clubs for their contributions to the WMEA Program and hope to be able to offer scholarships in the future. The EA of the WMEA Program stands for Education/Awareness. Although we are sorry to lose Erie Recycling it has opened up a tremendous opportunity for educating our students on the importance of recycling. We are able to go from theory to “hands on” training as they see exactly what’s involved in the WMEA Program. Who knows, one of these students may catch the bug and decide on an Environmental Sciences major as they move forward with their education.
5. Kohart’s Salvage on SR 613 will take all of your recycling with the exception of plastics and glass. Their number is 419-399-4144 for hours of operation.
6. Van Wert County Solid Waste Management District will take all of your recycling including glass and plastics. Their address is 1135 N. Washington and phone number is 419-238-7767 for hours of operation.
7. Werlor’s of Defiance no longer provides residential drop off service.
8. I will have articles in the West Bend News, Paulding Progress, the WMEA website, as well as PSA’s on 102.7 to keep everyone updated on Program changes. As always, feel free to call me at the office or on my cell. The number is 419-399-3630 for the office and 832-444-4814 for my cell. If you’re able, call my cell because you’ll get me much more quickly. I try to get into the office at least once a day, but if it’s time sensitive, definitely call my cell.
