News
Group Looks For Community’s Recycling Improvement Suggestions
By: Steffany Hiett
Posted on:
Members of the Appalachia Ohio Zero Waste Initiative (AOZWI) will survey recyclers, residents and businesses to find out what recycling options they would like to see in Athens and Hocking Counties.
Survey results will be used to influence the way recycling and solid waste is handled in the future.
AOZWI Coordinator Kyle O'Keefe says the main goal of the survey is to teach the community how to improve their recycling and waste reduction habits. "This initiative will be about a year long process to do a feasibility around really how to improve access to recycling and improve waste reduction. We'll actually look at creating jobs from these materials as well as businesses. So this is an initial step in teaching the community," said O'Keefe.
O'Keefe says the issues involved with recycling and waste reduction can be very complex for communities to understand. "There's a lot to these issues and that's kind of part of the problem that we face in these communities. There's a very large disconnect between communities, community members and their local waste systems. That's a big problem. So this initiative is sort of here to be a catalyst of encouraging the community's voice in this process."
Surveying has already begun at the Athens Recycling Center.
Questionnaires will also be mailed to 3,000 residents in Athens and Hocking counties.
Residents can expect the surveys in their mailboxes in mid-February and business surveys will be available online.