It’s A Community Effort

Delaware, Knox, Marion, Morrow

Joint Solid Waste Management District

2014

ANNUAL REPORT

Director’s Note

As the title of this years report suggests, the DKMM Solid Waste District relies on a

multitude of partners to accomplish the work we are tasked by the State to do. This

was more apparent in 2014 as we underwent a bit of change. My predecessor, Larry

Cooper, who served as the District Director beginning in 2010, retired at the end of

May. There was a time of transition where we leaned heavily on our partners to

assist in making the transition as smooth as possible. We truly appreciate all of the

wonderful partners that we are fortunate to have.

We are charged by the State to provide programs to keep solid waste out of landfills.

We work to accomplish this by funding the programs which are outlined on the following pages. One

program that is near and dear to me is our recycling drop-off program. This program provides clean, safe and

convenient locations for residents to recycle. We had 48 recycling locations in 2014 and were able to recycle

3,570 tons through this program. My goal in 2015 is to ensure we have adequate service at all of our sites to

eliminate overflow issues that our containers sometimes face.

Litter along road and water ways is a continuing struggle. In 2014 twenty litter clean-up events were held

calling to action 1,705 volunteers that collected well over 20 tons of trash. It is a community effort to keep

our counties clean and we couldn’t do it without the help of local residents. To those that donated their time,

we appreciate your commitment to keeping the DKMM counties beautiful!

By contracting with each Commissioners office for educational services, we were able to educate 1,559

students on waste management concepts through classroom and field trip activities. By educating our youth

we believe that the recycling message is taken home, encouraging more families to participate in the available

waste reduction programs.

I hope as you read this report you see that it truly is a community effort consisting of agencies, organizations,

businesses and local residents that work together to keep waste in its proper place. Whether it is a recycling

container, compost pile or trash can we all have a role to play as we make daily decisions about where our

waste ends up– please choose wisely.

Sincerely,

Please Contact Us

DKMM Solid Waste District

117 East High Street, Suite 257

Mount Vernon, Ohio 43050

P: 740-393-4600

F: 740-392-3298

www.dkmm.org

The District is funded by a $6.00 per ton contract fee on municipal solid waste generated within the District.

This fee is collected from designated landfills and transfer stations that have signed an agreement with the

District. DKMM’s contract fee is not a county tax but a legal fee collected by the District.

Due to the hard work of our partnering agencies District programs have benefited from an additional

$64,572.60 in funding from outside sources. These include the Environmental Protection Agency, area

Health Departments, local governments and several businesses and organizations. This additional funding is

not included in the charts below.

Income/Expense Summary

$337,635.96

$1,194,451.16 $4,423.00

$21,710.74

2014 DKMM REVENUE$1,558,220.86

LANDFILL FEES

TRANSFER STATION FEES

MISC. INCOME

REIMBURSEMENTS

$122,521.43 $31,008.78

$92,479.34

$234,000.00 $10,064.80

$7,696.69

$141,502.50 $74,714.91

$168,879.08

$363,584.27

2014 DKMM EXPENDITURES$1,246,451.80

SALARIES AND BENEFITS

ADMIN OVERHEAD & PROFESSIONALSERVICES

COMPOSTING ASSIST/YARD WASTE

EDUCATION PROGRAMS

ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP & CONTINGENCY

GENERAL PLAN IMPLEMENTATION

HEALTH DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE EVENTS

RECYCLING ASSISTANCE GRANTS

RECYCLING DROP-OFF PROGRAM

District-Wide Waste Statistics This data was collected from the District landfill/transfer station reports, annual surveys of industry, business,

institutions, compost facilities , recyclers and waste haulers. This does not represent the total amount of

waste in the District. We do not report estimates from those not responding to the survey. Great care was

taken to eliminate all double counting of recycling tonnages.

Residential recycling efforts are included in the following table but are also broken down by municipality in

the following county specific pages.

2014 2013

Total Waste Generated 520,414 tons 452,313 tons

Diverted by Recycling 236,630 tons 190,309 tons

Diverted by Composting 24,708 tons 37,505 tons

Sent to Landfill 224,499 tons 259,076 tons

Diversion Rate 50.2% 50.4%

Special Collections Some items are hard to dispose of or need special handling to ensure they are disposed of in a safe and

environmentally friendly manner. The District funds and/or holds various events to provide residents with an

outlet for these materials.

The District held four Household Hazardous Waste, Tire and Electronic Collection Events. One event was held

in each county with a total cost of $74,715.

Corrosives

& Aerosols

Resins &

Adhesives

Solvents &

Oils

Assorted

Batteries Pesticides Mercury

2 tons 9 tons 6 tons 4 tons 7 tons .02 tons

Misc. Lab

Pack Propane

Fluorescent

Bulbs Gases Tires Electronics

.1 tons .4 tons .8 tons .1 tons 65 tons 40 tons

Composting Composting has kept 24,708 tons of waste out of our landfills and has turned it into a useable product. We

ensure that at least one compost site is available in each of our four counties. These sites are available for

residential yard waste disposal free of charge.

Enforcement & Monitoring via

Health Departments An important aspect to solid waste management is the oversight and enforcement of state and federal

regulations to ensure waste is being handled in a safe and nuisance-free manner. Improper storage and

disposal of solid waste is an ongoing battle in all four District counties. Sanitarians work with homeowners

and business owners to mitigate these health and safety issues. In some instances, the entire dwelling must

be torn down to fully remediate the situation.

Nuisance I

(multiple visits/ legal)

Nuisance II

(one re-inspection)

Nuisance III

(gained easy compliance)

Solid Waste Facility

Monitoring

Delaware 0 30 38 48

Knox 5 38 15 8

Marion 32 92 20 20

Morrow 17 51 16 27

Food Waste Yard Waste

Delaware 2,679 tons 10,057 tons

Knox 251 tons 1,667 tons

Marion 409 tons 7,007 tons

Morrow 83 tons 660 tons

Before

After

Recycling Assistance Grants DKMM funds projects that assist with the collection and processing of recyclable material and strengthen

markets for these materials. Any business, institution, political subdivision or non-profit located in the District

can apply. Although we reduced the amount of funding we could allot to our grant program in 2014 we had

seven great projects that were completed.

Apple Valley Property Owners

Association $5,323

Purchase of surveillance equipment near the District drop-off

recycling containers to deter illegal dumping and allow

documentation for prosecution

Marion County Agricultural

Society, Inc. $15,000

Purchase of Clear Stream Container kits to increase recycling

efforts to all events held at the fairgrounds

Mid-Ohio Sanitation &

Recycling LLC. $40,000

Purchase of ten 20-yard dual stream containers to expand

recycling opportunities to community facilities

Mount Vernon Middle School $1,817.50 Purchase of permanent recycling containers to improve

recycling efforts in their cafeteria and at sporting events

New Hope Industries, Inc. $20,457

Purchase of two larger shredders and two impact-resistant

tool steel cutters to expand document destruction services to

community facilities

Ohio Dept. of Rehabilitation &

Corrections MCI $14,965

Purchase of additional equipment and containers to improve

efficiencies and security

Park Enterprise $60,000 Purchase of a Windrow Turner to increase operational

efficiencies for their Class II Composting operation

$157,562.50 Total Grand Dollars Awarded

Delaware County Every year the DKMM Solid Waste District asks the county recycling and litter prevention programs to

highlight something that they achieved in their community. This year the focus will be on the achievements

of the cities, villages and townships in Delaware County.

More and more of our political subdivisions have bid out service for trash and many

are now including recycling. Winning bids have varied throughout the county, based

on population and specific requirements that were expected of haulers. Overall, we

have seen our residents receiving services they need at prices they can afford. In

many cases, discounts for senior citizens and door side service have been negotiated

for those with disabilities. This is not something available to all individuals. Most

bulk items can be picked up at the curb by the hauler. With access to waste service,

expect to see a decrease in illegal dumping and illegal burning. Illegal dumping used

to mean trash being thrown in a ditch or field. These days illegal dumping can also

mean trash being thrown into a business, school dumpster or even a DKMM

recycling dumpster.

In 2012, Americans generated 251 million tons of trash and recycled 87 million tons of that trash. There is a

cost to recycling. Currently, the markets for materials are down, and the cost for processing recyclables has

increased. Even so, this should not be a deterrent to add or continue curbside recycling programs. We all

benefit from recycling because we are conserving the raw materials that are used to manufacture everything

we need in our lives. Recycling provides local jobs and requires less energy than manufacturing from raw

materials.

Today, we have two cities, Delaware and Powell, three villages,

Ashley, Galena and Sunbury, and four townships Genoa, Orange,

Liberty and Kingston that have provided their residents with both

trash and curbside recycling. Two more rural townships, Marlboro

and Porter, have made trash service available in their communities

with several more townships looking to get their residents better

service at better rates. We see a much greater participation in

recycling when curbside service is available.

This is an achievement of which our communities should most

certainly be proud!

Ashley Berlin Brown Genoa Harlem Kingston Liberty

(OLHS)

Liberty

(Wyandot)

53 144 58 178 94 30 433 237

Orange Porter Radnor Scioto Sunbury Troy Trenton

74 62 80 75 324 29 35

Delaware

Curbside

Powell

Curbside

Genoa

Curbside

Orange

Curbside

Kingston

Curbside

Galena

Curbside

Ashley

Curbside

1,416 1,005 2,144 1,530 Could not

obtain

Could not

obtain

Could not

obtain

Total residential recycling in Delaware County as reported to DKMM 8,001 Tons

Delaware County Recycling Weights (measured in tons)

Knox County In the spring of 2014, Linda Montgomery successfully achieved status as a Certified Environmental Educator. Shortly afterward, she began the huge task of selecting/creating lesson plans primarily focusing on environmental and solid waste activities appropriate for elementary education. The lesson plans have an approximate length of 40 minutes and strictly adhere to common core standard requirements for Science and/or Social Studies.

Eventually Linda came up with the idea to create an Environmental Education Booklet to hand out to teachers which listed: Grade, Subject, Topic, Content Statement, Activity, From Where the Activity was Obtained and the Objective of each activity. Teachers could then look through the booklet and see all the opportunities available to them. She also created large binders to hold every lesson plan, work sheets, a listing of needed supplies and if a poster or PowerPoint presentation was created to accompany it. This allowed her easy access to all pertinent information to answer any questions that teachers may have had and kept her always prepared to enter a classroom.

The Booklet did not go to press until February 2015 but was able to achieve success in the closing months of the school year. Whenever Linda entered a new classroom, she always began with a brief introduction about herself and then she would ask the students her favorite question: What does environmental science have to do with recycling? Linda was able to ask that question 14 times while making 30 presentations.

Recycling education is more than just the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; it’s about creating an attitude of appreciation and conservation of our world's natural resources.

Wiggin Street School

Berlin Brown Centerburg Danville Fredericktown Harrison

19 22 106 101 112 22

Howard Liberty Martinsburg Miller Monroe Pike

135 16 49 19 21 10

East Knox

School

Added May

Mt. Vernon

Curbside

Gambier

Curbside Total residential recycling in Knox County as reported

to DKMM 636 Tons 4 Could not obtain Could not obtain

Knox County Recycling Weights (measured in tons)

Marion County Marion County Recycling & Litter Prevention’s Annual Eco-Art Show is now approaching its sixth year. This

America Recycles Day event has grown from nineteen artists and crafters in 2010 to fifty-three in 2014. Over

800 people attended the 5th Annual America Recycles Day Eco-

Art Show at Marion’s Historic Palace Theatre last November.

Our goal is to reduce, reuse, recycle and buy recycled. Eco-art is

a creative way to do just that. Items that would have otherwise

been discarded were kept out of the landfill, while raising

awareness and supporting a green economy.

Vendors sold eco-art made from expired license plates, old

silverware, pallets, rags, car parts, worn out boots, outdated

hymnals, broken dishes, worn out toys, vintage phones,

shrunken wool sweaters, recycled liquor bottles, shotgun shells, burned out light bulbs, and so much more.

Plans are already underway for the show on Saturday, November 14, 2015 from 11am-6pm at The Marion

Palace.

Keep Ohio Beautiful will be honoring affiliates, youth groups, schools, civic and non-profit groups, businesses

and local communities in nine different categories at a statewide luncheon to honor environmental efforts

across the State of Ohio. Marion County’s Eco-Art Show has been chosen for the 2014 America Recycles Day

Award, presented by Ohio EPA on July 10th at the Keep Ohio Beautiful Annual Meeting.

ECO Center LLC was presented with Keep Ohio Beautiful Business & Industry Honors at the July luncheon.

Marion County Recycling & Litter Prevention, who nominated ECO Center for the award, partnered with them

and the Morrow County Recycling & Litter Prevention Office to celebrate Earth Week 2015.

It was an extraordinary environmental celebration. 1,600 people

attended, enjoying booths with maple syrup, children’s activities,

beekeeping, butterfly gardens, and recycled barrel train rides.

Nucor Steel sponsored a 5K Earth Day run in conjunction with a

shoe recycling collection, and visitors enjoyed live music and guest

speakers all day long. Marion County R&LP distributed tree

seedlings, a children’s author premiered her woodland elf book,

caterers donated food, and Morrow County R&LP sponsored an

eco-art contest. Onsite recycling was prominent, as befitting the

“Earth Day 24/7/365” theme.

Caledonia River Valley Green Camp LaRue New

Bloomington

49 122 35 41 17

Pleasant Prospect Ridgedale Waldo City of Marion

Curbside

153 49 71 38 855

Total residential recycling in Marion County as reported to DKMM 1,430 Tons

Marion County Recycling Weights (measured in tons)

Morrow County

Morrow County Recycling and Litter Prevention has a permanent activity called the Litter Trail at Headwaters

Education Center, 151 Home Road, Mt. Gilead, Ohio. The Headwaters Center is operated by the Morrow

County Soil & Water Conservation District and is open to the public. There are several beautiful walking paths

for area residents to enjoy. One path contains a Litter Trail that has 12 stations where items have been

purposefully littered. The items chosen for the Trail were

picked because they are items commonly found during

roadside cleanups.

The littered items are placed under a small metal basket

that is staked to the ground with a sign containing

information about the litter. This information includes how

it might impact the environment if it is not disposed of

properly and whether it is recyclable.

Items found along the trail include an aluminum can, a tire,

cigarette butts, cloth, fast food wrappers, paper, a steel

can, a plastic bottle, a glass jar and food scraps (made from

plastic), Styrofoam and a baby diaper.

In 2014 a total of 329 students participated in this learning experience and were surprised to learn that many

littered items will last hundreds of years in a landfill or along roadways but that a large portion of these items

can be easily recycled into new products. This is a powerful way to teach students why it is so important to

make sure their waste is disposed of properly.

Cardington Chesterville Franklin Fulton Highland Iberia

46 40 34 22 48 40

Johnsville Marengo Marengo

(part time) Northmor Westfield

73 62 12 56 22

Edison

Curbside

Mt. Gilead

Curbside

Cardington

Curbside Total residential recycling in Morrow County as

reported to DKMM 709 Tons 10 215 29

Morrow County Recycling Weights (measured in tons)

Org

aniz

atio

nal

Ch

art

Po

licy

Co

mm

ittee

Del

awar

e C

ou

nty

1 C

ou

nty

Co

mm

issi

on

er

1 C

EO o

f la

rges

t ci

ty

1 T

ow

nsh

ip T

rust

ee

1 H

ealt

h C

om

mis

sio

ner

1 C

om

mer

cial

, in

stitu

tio

nal

an

d

ind

ust

rial

gen

erat

ors

1

Inte

rest

of

citi

zen

s

1 P

ub

lic M

emb

er

Kn

ox

Co

un

ty

1 C

ou

nty

Co

mm

issi

on

er

1 C

EO o

f la

rges

t ci

ty

1 T

ow

nsh

ip T

rust

ee

1 H

ealt

h C

om

mis

sio

ner

1 C

om

mer

cial

, in

stitu

tio

nal

an

d

ind

ust

rial

gen

erat

ors

1 I

nte

rest

of

citi

zen

s 1

Pu

blic

Mem

ber

Mo

rro

w C

ou

nty

1 C

ou

nty

Co

mm

issi

on

er

1 C

EO o

f la

rges

t ci

ty

1 T

ow

nsh

ip T

rust

ee

1 H

ealt

h C

om

mis

sio

ner

1 C

om

mer

cial

, in

stitu

tio

nal

an

d

ind

ust

rial

gen

erat

ors

1 In

tere

st o

f ci

tize

ns

1 P

ub

lic M

emb

er

Mar

ion

Co

un

ty

1 C

ou

nty

Co

mm

issi

on

er

1 C

EO o

f la

rges

t ci

ty

1 T

ow

nsh

ip T

rust

ee

1 H

ealt

h C

om

mis

sio

ner

1 C

om

mer

cial

, in

stitu

tio

nal

an

d

ind

ust

rial

gen

erat

ors

1 In

tere

st o

f ci

tize

ns

1 P

ub

lic M

emb

er

1 M

emb

er-a

t-La

rge

(ch

ose

n b

y th

e co

mm

ittee

mem

ber

s)

Bo

ard

of

Dir

ect

ors

Del

awar

e C

ou

nty

Co

mm

issi

on

ers

Gar

y M

erre

ll

Ken

O’B

rien

Den

nis

Sta

ple

ton

Kn

ox

Co

un

ty

Co

mm

issi

on

ers

Tere

sa B

emill

er

Tho

m C

olli

er

Ro

ger

Ree

d

Mar

ion

Co

un

ty

Co

mm

issi

on

ers

An

dy

Ap

pel

felle

r

Dan

Ru

ssel

l

Ken

Sti

vers

on

Mo

rro

w C

ou

nty

Co

mm

issi

on

ers

Tom

Har

den

Dic

k M

iller

Tom

Wh

isto

n

Fisc

al A

dm

inis

trat

or

Ch

eryl

Co

rbin

Dir

ecto

r

Jen

na

Hic

ks