This story was written in response to a reader-submitted question through Open Source, a platform where readers can ask Knox Pages’ newsroom to investigate a question.
MOUNT VERNON — Matt Baugher of Litter & Recycling is pleased people are asking: When are the eight recycling dumpsters being put back at the park and ride on 229 West?
But Baugher said, “They’re not coming back.”
Now they’re at a new location at 17604 Coshocton Ave.
The reason behind the move is due to a high contamination rate at the Park and Ride recycling location at 229 West, Baugher said.
In 2020, the the county and Delaware, Knox, Marion Morrow Solid Waste District (DKMM) put two recycling locations at Memorial Park and Park and Ride.
“I got a call from (Mayor Matt) Starr around April saying they’re going to work on a new project in the city and those would have (to be) removed,” the program director said.
“Unfortunately it became a dumping ground. DKMM said let’s just remove it. They were having to do a lot of the cleanup (…) It was not working out,” Mayor Matt Starr said.
With the bins removed around April, Baugher said he worked alongside Knox County Administrator Jason Booth, the solid waste district and Opportunity Knox to took the bins from Memorial Park and park and ride to Opportunity Knox’s Coshocton Avenue location, with the site opening around May to June.
“The new site is significantly better,” Baugher said.
It includes 15 bins instead of the original 12 and folks can utilize the bins free of charge.
Baugher also said city residents are entitled to free curbside recycling. If you’re a city resident, entitled to free curbside recycling through any certified trash holder.
