At Rumpke we pride ourselves on being environmentalists every day by helping neighborhoods be clean and green.

From our highly engineered landfills to our state-of-the-art recycling centers, we are investing in the best available technology to protect the health and safety of our neighbors and the environment.

You probably didn’t know that the average American produces nearly one ton of garbage per year. As we celebrate America Recycles Day, we hope residents and businesses take a critical look at what they are throwing away, not just today, but every day.

Studies show that more than half of the material discarded at landfills could be reduced, reused or recycled. While Rumpke can’t enforce recycling, we can - and certainly do - encourage it.

We are always searching for new recycling technology and programs to encourage communities to recycle more – such as providing larger recycling containers or adopting incentive programs.

Additionally, it is our goal to offer recycling options for just about everyone – from residents to businesses to construction sites – and to make recycling available just about everywhere, including in cities, businesses, sports arenas, universities, entertainment venues and area attractions.

Meanwhile, our team offers educational opportunities such as facility tours and presentations to schools, civic groups and the general public to educate residents about the importance of recycling as well as recycling opportunities.

But for recycling to be truly effective, it really has to be a partnership. We need businesses and residents who are willing to separate recyclable material from the waste stream, and companies like Rumpke need to continue its quest to find and build relationships with manufacturers to turn these materials into new items. Furthermore, it is up to all of us as consumers to demand and purchase products that are made from recyclables.

At Rumpke we don’t’ take the responsibility of being one of the Midwest’s largest recyclers lightly. We are committed to finding and implementing recycling options for a larger variety of waste types.  We’ve already developed partnerships with businesses to recycle items such as tires, electronic waste, universal waste. light bulbs and construction materials.

Rumpke is also implementing other green initiatives at its sites. For example, at several of our landfills we are harnessing the gas produced by decomposing garbage to power homes and businesses. Rumpke also partnered with Clean Fuels Ohio to start fueling our trucks on landfill gas.

So on America Recycles Day, take a critical look at what you throw away and make a pledge to help protect the environment through proper waste disposal and recycling – not just on America Recycles Day – but every day.

About the author: Bill Rumpke Jr. is Chief Operating Officer of Rumpke Consolidated Companies Inc.