MOUNT VERNON — Ever wonder what happens to the trash and recycling materials that you dutifully carry out to the curb or haul away every week or so?
Out of sight, out of mind is probably the most typical attitude toward trash and recycling. But for the DKMM Joint Solid Waste District and the trash-hauling companies that operate in the counties served by the district — Delaware, Knox, Marion and Morrow — waste management is a constant preoccupation.
More than a quarter-of-a-million people live within the district’s boundaries and those residents, along with businesses, generate mountains of trash — in excess of 500,000 tons annually. It’s the mission of the DKMM Solid Waste District to manage solid waste disposal, strive for waste reduction, reduce landfill reliance and promote re-use, recycling and composting.
The city of Mount Vernon and Knox County’s governments strive to stay ahead of the waste management curve and they work closely with the DKMM Solid Waste District toward that goal.
County Commissioners Teresa Bemiller, Roger Reed and Allen Stockberger serve on the district’s board of directors, and Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis is chairman of the district’s policy committee.
