LONDON, Ohio -- Ohio State University's Farm Science Review is getting greener.
The North Central Ohio Solid Waste District is implementing a recycling program on the Review grounds to collect and recycle cardboard, plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Visitors to this year's event are encouraged to use the containers, situated at all entrances and exits and in designated food vendor areas on Friday, Farm and Land avenues. Farm Science Review will take place Sept. 18-20 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.
The program is funded by a $17,500 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Recycling and Litter Prevention, and $8,800 in matching funds from the North Central Ohio Solid Waste District.
Linda Wuethrich, program coordinator for the North Central Ohio Solid Waste District in Allen and Hardin counties, said the recycling program grew out of a need to promote recycling at Farm Science Review.
"The North Central Ohio Solid Waste District is comprised of six counties: Allen, Champaign, Hardin, Madison, Shelby and Union. Since Farm Science Review is located in Madison County, it was an obvious fit for our district to try and implement this project," said Wuethrich. "We hope to be able to educate those in attendance about the importance of recycling."
Added Farm Science Review manager Chuck Gamble, "The FSR staff has attempted over the years to implement recycling with little success. The representatives of the North Central Ohio Solid Waste District did not have to sell recycling to us. We were all in agreement that a recycling effort at Farm Science Review was needed and the time was now to implement."
Wuethrich said that recycling affords a variety of benefits from saving landfill space, to conserving water, energy and natural resources. Plastic bottles and aluminum cans were the target of the Farm Science Review recycling program because of the increasing number of such items finding their way into landfills rather than being recycled.
Nationally, only 34 percent of plastic soft drink bottles are recycled annually. That amounts to nearly 7 billion pounds of plastic bottles filling up landfills.
"We aim to build awareness of the staggering amount of items that are being tossed into landfills. Also, by pulling those recyclables out of the trash, the end result will be a cost savings for Farm Science Review," said Wuethrich.
Said Gamble, "One of the major hurdles to a successful recycling program is embracing the culture of recycling. I'd like to thank the North Central Ohio Solid Waste District staff for their diligence, their enthusiasm and their passion in what they do -- to create a better environment for all as we reuse items rather than bury them in landfills."
Recycled material collected at Farm Science Review will be sent to Union Recyclers, Inc., in Marysville.
The North Central Ohio Solid Waste District will be on the Review grounds during the show to encourage visitors to use the recycling containers and to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Farm Science Review staff are anticipated to take over the recycling program beginning next year. Wood pallets and shrink wrap are anticipated to be added to the program in the future.
Farm Science Review is sponsored by Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. Tickets are $8 at the gate or $5 in advance when purchased from county offices of OSU Extension or participating agribusinesses. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept 18-19 and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 20. For more information, log on to http://fsr.osu.edu.