MOUNT VERNON — Knox County residents now have an opportunity to reap a reward for their recycling efforts. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Monday morning at the Rumpke recycling center on Columbus Road to officially kick off Rumpke’s buy-back services.
Rumpke purchased the local recycling facility from the Knox County Commissioners on May 1, 2011, making it the company’s ninth recycling center in Ohio. Efforts have been ongoing ever since to begin offering buy-back services at the facility.
“We recognized the value of this partnership and the ability for us to expand our recycling opportunities to our residents,” said Larry Cooper, district director of the Delaware-Knox-Marion-Morrow Solid Waste District, of their relationship with Rumpke in offering buy-back services in Knox County. “We’ve worked with them closely, and we’re very pleased that they’re here.”
Taking part in the ceremony and expressing their appreciation for Rumpke’s efforts in Mount Vernon were Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Mavis and Knox County Board of Commissioners President Allen Stockberger.
Cooper explained that Rumpke has obtained a grant to upgrade their outside collection containers and has improved other recycling methods within the facility. Single-stream recycling will no longer be baled into large cubes but will now be loaded by conveyor directly onto a truck bed and hauled to Columbus for processing. “Rumpke has made a commitment to make significant upgrades to this facility,” said Cooper.
As soon as Monday’s ceremony concluded, customers were already in line waiting to turn in their recyclables for the buy-back service. The main items which will be purchased include aluminum cans, aluminum scrap, copper, stainless steel, brass, lead and car batteries as well as newspaper, computer paper, magazines and cardboard.
Items that will not be accepted include wood, paint cans, tires, hazardous material, plastic grocery bags, aerosol cans and computers/computer parts. Prices paid for buy-back items can change at any time and will be advertised periodically in the News.
Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. After-hours dropoffs can be made in the various donation containers located on the north side of the building.