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To recognize and celebrate October 14 - 20, 2024 as Recycle Week in Columbus, Ohio
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WHEREAS, Recycle Week is an annual event that was established to promote recycling practices and environmental sustainability. It creates opportunities for all to implement positive change that will help protect our planet and has contributed to increased awareness and participation in recycling initiatives worldwide; and
WHEREAS, participating in Recycle Week is an excellent way to contribute to environmental conservation efforts. Some ways to get involved are: Learn About Recycling, Reduce, Reuse & Recycle, Participate in Recycling Programs, Organize Clean-Up Events, Advocate for Recycling, and Spread the Word; and
WHEREAS, Rumpke Waste & Recycling has been committed to keeping neighborhoods and businesses clean and green since 1932 by providing environmentally friendly waste disposal solutions and recycling options. Headquartered in Colerain Township, Ohio, just outside of Cincinnati, Rumpke is one of the nation’s largest privately owned residential and commercial waste and recycling firms, providing service to areas of Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia and Illinois; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus has relied on Rumpke since 1984 to keep our city clean with its garbage collection, recycling, and local waste management; and
WHEREAS, the new Rumpke Recycling & Resource Center located at 1190 Joyce Avenue in the City of Columbus was opened in August of 2024 and it is biggest and most technologically advanced recycling facility in North America; and
WHEREAS, the new Rumpke Waste & Recycling facility can process 60 tons of material per hour and 250,000 annually from 50 Ohio counties; and
WHEREAS, Rumpke supports the circular economy by supplying recycled material to manufacturers within a 250-mile radius of the facilities, including 80% of recovered recycled materials going to Ohio companies; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus, through its Sustainable Columbus office, is committed to imparting equity and environmental justice through strong climate action and is guided by the Columbus Climate Action Plan which has a community-wide goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 and 45% reduction in emissions by 2050; and
WHEREAS, the City of Columbus Climate Action Plan has strategies and goals around reducing waste, transitioning to clean energy sources and zero emission vehicles, increasing energy efficiency, increasing access to green space, and increasing the tree canopy in alignment with the City’s Urban Forestry Master Plan; and
WHEREAS, Keep Columbus Beautiful, a national affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, is a community improvement program started in 1984 that focuses on public education and volunteer service related to quality of life environmental issues including litter, recycling and beautification. In 2023 Keep Columbus Beautiful facilitated 11,564 volunteers, 29,972.30 volunteer hours, 792 cleanups, and the removal of 365,637 pounds of litter; and
WHEREAS, founded in 2008, Columbus GreenSpot is a city program that inspires, educates, and recognizes households, businesses, community groups, and neighborhoods that adopt sustainable practices. Columbus GreenSpot currently has over 25,000 members throughout the city; and
WHEREAS, Columbus City Council encourages all residents to celebrate Recycle Week, to practice Reduce, Reuse, Recycle daily and to remember the role individuals and communities play in reducing waste and preserving the environment; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council does hereby recognize and celebrate October 14 - 20, 2024 as Recycle Week in Columbus, Ohio.