While many people say they care about the environment, few actually make it a personal responsibility to consider the trash and recycling they produce.

Randal Purdy does not work for Rumpke, but she has become a good friend of ours. Not only is she a diligent recycler (she collects recycling at her apartment and drives it to a drop-off box), Randal has made a point to educate herself about trash and recycling and is helping to spread the word.

We first met Randal last year when she contacted us to visit Rumpke Sanitary Landfill in Colerain Township, Ohio.

“I went to Miami University and passed Mount Rumpke several times leaving and coming to school for four years,” Randal said. “As I became more interested and passionate about recycling, I wondered what actually went on at the collection facilities.”

Randal took a day off of work to participate in a bus tour of the landfill, which was a learning experience that fueled her desire to learn more.

“I learned that gases produced from the landfill can be collected to power and heat homes,” Randal said. “Multiple precautions are taken to eliminate harming the land under and around the landfill, such as lining every pit and spraying deodorizers around the area.”

Before placing trash in the landfill, it is lined with a series of protective layers to prevent waste or wastewater from entering the environment. Watch these landfill videos to learn more.

Randal also traveled about two hours to visit the Rumpke Recycling facility in Columbus, Ohio.

“At the recycling center, I got to watch the use of high technology machines separate items moving through the facility assembly-style on conveyors belts,” Randal said. “Techniques include a giant magnet to attract metal, optical scanners reflecting different types of plastic, air gusts to push paper into a different area, and overhead vacuums for plastic bags.”

Visiting a recycling center helped Randal understand the importance—and the challenges—of the recycling process.

“Plastic bags can be very harmful and hurt the recycling process and are a nuisance to the landfills. The best thing you can do is return them to stores that collect them (Walmart, Kroger, etc). Do your part for the environment you live in! Keep the landfill from growing and think before you throw.”

Randal said she recycles because it’s a team effort to keep our environment beautiful and suggests others find the recycling options available in their community and learn the guidelines. You can follow Rumpke on Twitter or Facebook for daily updates.

If you love to recycle and would like to share your story, please contact us.

Written by Rumpke's Corporate Communications Team.