Warmer weather has finally arrived in Northern Kentucky. But with the arrival of spring comes the annual chore many do not look forward to: spring cleaning.
Spring cleaning typically looks like people going through piles of junk they have put off organizing, sorting through items they think they can’t recycle and should just toss.
However, there is a place where recyclable items can be dropped off, the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub.
Opening on April 1, 2021, it was co-founded by Carrie Harms and Erin Fay. They both still work with the hub today, Fay as board vice-president.
Before opening the hub, the two were working on different programs in recycling. Fay was doing two recycling collections in Pleasant Ridge, Ohio. Harms was working on a program called Zero Landfill Cincinnati.
All these programs came together to form the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub. The only thing left was to find a permanent location.
“So, we were just all looking for kind of like ways to have a permanent location for those to grow those programs and create kind of like a one stop, drop off location for people to be able to do their good deeds, instead of going around to multiple spots to do that,” said Harms.
The items the hub accepts are divided into three categories: universal waste items, general items and reusable items.
For universal waste items, people must pay a fee to drop them off because they may contain hazardous materials, including electronics, batteries and lightbulbs.
The fee for items depends on battery-powered appliances, including electric razors or toothbrushes, which are $2 each. Electric appliances are free to drop off unless they are brought in a car trunk for $10 or $25 for SUV vehicles. Their website outlines more specifics on fees.
These fees exist because it costs the hub money to process these items.
For general items, there is no fee, but those dropping off items must pay $15 for a full month of unlimited drop-offs or $10 with a Hub Club membership.
According to the hub’s website, “many general household items are accepted for recycling and include plastic, metals and more.”
Some other household items include egg cartons, eyewear, pill bottles, soft plastics and shoes.
For reusable items, these items are resold at the hub’s Hub Shop or local nonprofits. This includes greeting cards, hangers, pots, shoes, non-powered tools, utensils and more.
Before donating these items, people donating must ensure they are all clean and dry. Leaving sticker labels on is okay. Plastics must be organized by the kind of item they are. Having this preparation done helps the people who go through donations.
Items that are not accepted are taken by any local waste service provider, like Rumpke, or placed in any curbside bins and any hazardous materials. Some examples would be fake plants, bedding, building materials, concrete and gas/oil products.
Harms wants to make sure more people are educated on what materials are recycled through their curbside bins and which can be brought in.
“A lot of people think that if a plastic item has a chasing arrow symbol on it, that means it can go into curbside recycling. So, education for us is like the foundation of everything we do here, so we want to make sure people are confident in the items they’re putting into their recycling bins at home, and trying to clear up a lot of confusion about that,” said Harms.
Beyond recycling, the hub also has a Reuse Hub where materials are sold at a very low price. Materials used to be free until June of last year.
Reuse Hub coordinator Stephanie Bradford loves to interact with customers, oftentimes asking what they will do with the items they are taking home.
“For instance, we’ve got all these garden tools here that are for sale now, and people might not be able to afford them; they’re really expensive,” said Bradford.
There is a free zone, where many materials cost 25 cents to $1 per pound. There are items that have a specific price depending on what they are.
The hub’s mission is to be as “economically feasible” as possible.
The hub itself wouldn’t be able to run without their volunteers. There are many different jobs for volunteers, including testing pens, highlighters and markers that are donated, helping go through donations and more.
Volunteer coordinator Lily Greiser absolutely loves her job and sees how passionate the volunteers are.
After getting her degree in political science, she saw herself doing advocacy work.
“So, you know, sustainability… combined with, like, working with people, kind of felt like the right position for me at the time, and I feel lucky to have landed here,” said Greiser.
Working at the hub has made Greiser feel like she is making a difference with the work she does.
“You know, the fact that I get to come to work every day and I am doing something good for the world is cool and underrated,” said Greiser.
The hub also works with other local businesses and downstream partners, giving any materials to them for a fee, to cover processing costs.
Any business they work with is selected carefully and must be trusted and certified. Research and development manager Mackenzie Dunlap’s job is to thoroughly research any businesses that want to work with them to ensure the places receiving the materials use them appropriately
“We really value that nothing leaves the country. There’s a lot of misinformation as far of what’s done with a lot of materials that people think are getting recycled; they’re getting sold overseas and landfilled overseas. And we feel that it’s really important that it’s our waste, and we need to take care of it ourselves in the country,” said Harms, adding that the organization prioritizes keeping waste in the county, with the exception of styrofoam, which is sent to Canada.
Thirty percent of the hub’s downstream partners are nonprofits, which mainly reuse the material given to them to help those in need.
Harms is extremely grateful for how much they have been embraced by customers and how supportive they have been. She is feeling very positive about the future of the hub.