By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON — The decision by Rumpke Waste & Recycling to close its Columbus Road facility and not renew an operating agreement with the Delaware-Knox-Marion-Morrow Solid Waste District should have little effect on the county’s drop-off program.
“We have a contract with Rumpke for the recycling containers out in the townships, and that contract is up for renewal,” explained Jenna Hicks, district director for DKMM. “I asked them if they wanted to renew the contract for the next two years as outlined in the contract, and they said they did not want to renew it. They wanted to increase the cost of our drop-off program because now they won’t have a local facility to take [recyclables] to when they close.”
In 2015, DKMM paid $76,911 for the drop-off boxes in 13 locations throughout the county.
“We are not making any changes to the drop-off program, but we are going to be going out to bid,” said Hicks. “No matter who the contractor is, that program will always be in place.”
Hicks plans to release bid documents in the next couple of weeks; bids are due July 29. The new contractor will begin service Jan. 1, 2017.
Although Rumpke’s decision will not greatly affect the county drop-off program, it will affect Mount Vernon and Gambier residents.
“The majority of the city residents take their stuff [to Columbus Road] if they are going to recycle, because not a whole lot of people use the curbside recycling right now,” said Hicks. “That’s what Randy [Canterbury of Knox County Recycling & Litter Prevention] is talking with city council about, to make some improvements to that. The Village of Gambier collects recyclables with village staff and takes [the recyclables] to the Columbus Road facility as well, so they are going to be impacted.”
Hicks said that the Coshocton County solid waste district will also be affected because its recyclables are brought to the Columbus Road facility for processing.
As reported Friday on KnoxPages.com, Amanda Pratt, director of corporate communications for Rumpke, confirmed that the company will close its Columbus Road facility in December. Rumpke will still provide curbside recycling and trash service in Mount Vernon.
“We definitely appreciate the relationship we have with the solid waste district and community and will continue to work with everyone involved to insure the best outcomes for everyone,” said Pratt.
“If Rumpke does close its facility and there is no potential buyer, we as the solid waste district would look to locate a drop-off here in the city to cover what people utilized there,” said Hicks. “I don’t know how that would look or how it would be, but we would try to fill that gap until the city makes whatever decision it’s going to make on curbside collection.”