Solid Waste Management District

of Lorain County, Ohio

 

 

 

 

 

The Ohio General Assembly established the Solid Waste Management Districts of Ohio in 1989, and required each county to belong to one. Our District was set up to include the whole of Lorain County, plus all of the city of Vermilion. The responsibilities and duties of each District fall into two broad categories:

To prepare and maintain a comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, and measure progress toward its goals by collecting detailed statistics on recycling and solid waste disposal.
To promote recycling, reuse, and reduction of solid waste through educational and informational programs, support of recycling businesses and organizations, and the direct operation or support of actual collection events and programs.
Thanks for visiting, and be sure to check back frequently for new information and features!

 

WHAT'S NEW

 

 

 

 

It is contest time! The Lorain County Solid Waste Management District, a department of the Lorain County Board of Commissioners is holding our annual CALENDAR CONTEST for Lorain County students in grades 1-12. Students are asked to draw a picture depicting one of the following themes: Litter Prevention OR Recycling. Thirteen (13) pictures will be selected to create a 2020 calendar. One of the designs chosen will be used as the cover art. Each winner will receive a gift card for $25, recognition at a Lorain County Board of Commissioners meeting and printed calendars for their family and friends.

Downloadable forms can be found here:  Contest Sheet 2019 & Rules & Regulations 2019 Contest

Please make sure that all drawings are within the square and on the official contest sheet. Spelling matters so students need to make sure any words included in their drawing are spelled correctly.  On each official contest sheet - please include the student's name, school name, teacher name and grade level.  Please make sure the information is printed legibly.

 

ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED OR DROPPED OFF IN PERSON TO THE OFFICE NO LATER THAN MAY 10, 2019.  If you have any questions about the contest, or to request a copy of the entry form and regulations to be mailed to you contact Brandi Schnell at 440-329-2249 or via email at bschnell@loraincounty.us.

 

Drawings can be submitted via mail or dropped off in person at:

 

Lorain County Solid Waste Management District

Attn: Brandi Schnell

226 Middle Avenue, 5th Floor

Elyria, Ohio 44035

 

 

 

 

Attention teachers of middle and high school students in Lorain County ~ the Board of Commissioners & the Solid Waste Dept. is now accepting entries for the Pride Day T-shirt contest! A copy of the rules & regulations along with the entry form can be found by clicking here: Pride Day 2019 Contest Rules, Pride Day T-shirt Contest Entry Form . The contest is open to all Lorain County students in 6th-12th grade. Lorain County Pride Day is a day in May when more than 2,000 residents gather in their communities across the county to clean up litter, plant flowers and spruce up their neighborhoods. The winner of the contest will have their artwork printed on the t-shirts that will be worn by the volunteers on Pride Day! The deadline to enter is February 28, 2019. If you have any questions about the contest please contact Brandi Schnell at 440-328-2249 or via email at bschnell@loraincounty.us.

 

The Lorain County Solid Waste Management District is a proud member of the Ohio Association of Litter Prevention & Recycling Professionals (OALPRP). Once again this year, OALPRP is offering their C.R. Meyers Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to a deserving high school or college student who lives in Ohio. 

To qualify for the scholarship, a student must:

          Plan to enroll or be currently enrolled at an accredited Ohio college, university or technical school.

         Have declared or plan to declare a major relating to environmental sciences or environmental education.

         Be a resident of Ohio.

Deadline for submission is April 15, 2019. The scholarship forms can be downloaded by visiting: www.oalprp.org  and then clicking on "scholarships".

 

  

 

FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF PRIDE DAY ACTIVITIES IN LORAIN COUNTY CLICK HERE: Community Activities 2018

 

 

 

Collection Center - located at 540 South Abbe Road, Elyria, Ohio

This facility has evolved since it opened its doors to Lorain County residents back in June of 2010. District Director, Keith Bailey has put together a presentation recapping some statistics of these programs. To view this presentation, Collection Center Statistics.

 

 

Photograph contest winners for 2017!

Lorain County students were asked to take a digital photograph and come with a caption that captures the character of their photograph and will encourage others to practice the 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). The photograph could be of anything related to the 3 R's. It could be a spontaneous recycling shot or a planned photo shoot. The contest was open to students in K-12th. The winners received a $25 check, a certificate and their photograph was made into a poster. The posters will be on display on the 5th floor of the County Administration building.

Megan Brandich - 12th grade Firelands High School (Teacher: Shanna Finnegan)

"Be Green and Don't be trashy.....RECYCLE!"

Max Kulaga - 4th grade Avon Heritage Elementary (Teacher: Mrs. Erin Shuster)

"Recycling since the 1700's"

Lydia Dougan - 7th Grade South Amherst Middle School (Teacher: Ms. Gligora)

"What Grows Around, Comes Around"

 

 

Breanna Dechant - 11th Grade at Firelands High School (Teacher: Shanna Finnegan)
"There is no planet B"

 

America Recycles Day is November 15th! Please stop by the Carlisle Visitor Center to learn more about recycling and see the Solid Waste District's display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AGRICULTURAL TIRE COLLECTION EVENT COMING SEPT. 28^th 2017

Calendar Contest

 

Every year the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District holds a calendar contest which is open to all Lorain County students in grades 1^st-12^th. As always, the talent this year was outstanding! Lorain County Commissioner Lori Kokoski and Community Outreach Coordinator Brandi Schnell judged the 843 entries received. They were able to select 13 winners for the calendar. A winner was chosen for the cover and each month of the calendar. At the June 7, 2017 Lorain County Board of Commissioners meeting 9 of the 13 winners were in attendance and were recognized for their achievement! Each winner received a check for $ 25.00, a certificate of appreciation and a copy of the artwork. When the calendars are printed they will received multiple copies to pass out to their family. In November, the District will display enlarged images of the artwork at the Lorain County Metro Park's Carlisle Reservation Visitors Center as part of our America Recycles Day celebration. After the display ends, the winners will received the enlarged copy of their drawings.

     

 

 

 

The collection center will be closed on Saturday, December 31^st and Monday, January 2^nd in observance of the New Year's holiday. Normal business hours will resume on Wednesday, January 4^th. For a complete list of days the facility will be closed click on the collection center tab on the left side of this page.

 

America Recycles Day is November 15^th

The District has an exhibit at the Lorain County Metro Parks Carlisle Visitors Center from November 4^th - 20^th. Residents can get information on recycling and sign pledge cards. The District is also having a drawing where Lorain County residents can sign up for a chance to win a free rain barrel! You can also see enlarged artwork images from our calendar contest. 

 

If you want to take the recycling pledge, click here: 2016 Pledge Form 

 

Ribbon Cutting At Grafton Township Tire Collection Center

On November 1^st the Lorain County Board of Commissioners & Grafton Township Trustees had a ribbon cutting ceremony in Grafton Township. The new hours for this location are Tuesday & Saturday from 9am - 1pm. The location is free for Lorain county residents only. Businesses are prohibited from participating in the program. 

 

 

 

Collection Center Now Accepting Cooking Oil

The collection center is now accepting cooking oils from Lorain County residents. Residents can bring their vegetable-based oils including peanut oil to the facility located at 540 South Abbe Road in Elyria. The center is open on Mon & Wed 12-6pm and Sat 9am-6pm. For a complete list of accepted materials click on this flyer: Flyer-CollectionCenter160926

New Residential Document Shredding Program Starts September 10th

 

 

Agricultural Tire Collection on September 8th

 

Lorain County Pride Day is Saturday, May 21^st

 

Lorain County Commissioner Lori Kokoski on WEOL

County Commissioner Lori Kokoski was on WEOL remote broadcast in Oberlin on Thursday, April 28th talking about the District's CAB trailer program.

 

 

 

 

KEEP LORAIN COUNTY BEAUTIFUL ADVISORY BOARD POSITION AVAILABLE

 

 

 

PRIDE DAY T-SHIRT CONTEST

The 2016 Pride Day T-shirt contest winner is Sara Wargo, a 9th grader from Keystone High School. She received a $25 gift card and her design will be printed on the t-shirts distributed to volunteers working on Lorain County Pride Day. Pride Day is Saturday, May 21st. The District would like to thank Mr. Kevin Wacker for encouraging his students to participate in our contest and Commissioner Lori Kokoski for her assistance in selecting a winner.

 

 

 

 

April 2nd 9:00am - NOON

 

 

District Director, Keith Bailey talked with WEOL personalities on Tuesday February 9, 2016 at a remote broadcast in Avon, Ohio. Mr. Bailey talked about the collection center, the CAB trailer program and Pride Day coming up on Saturday, May 21, 2016.

 

 Larkmoor Elementary School wins America Recycle's Day Pledge Contest

 

November 15th is America Recycle's Day and the District partners with Keep Lorain County Beautiful for a recycling pledge drive open to all Lorain County schools. Teachers are asked to read the America Recycle's Day pledge to their students and sign their class pledge sheet. Returned pledge sheets are entered for a chance to win a pizza party for their class. The District received 62 pledge sheets with a total of 1,435 signatures of students and teachers who agreed to recycle more. Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo pulled the winning teacher's name, Christy Gojevic, a 6th grade math & science teacher from Larkmoor Elementary School. The pizza party was sponsored by Bobel's Office Supply and held on December 4, 2015. The pizza and beverages was served to the students by Tom Murray and John Jacovetti from Bobel's.

 

  

 

   

Policy Committee Position Available

The Lorain County Solid Waste Management District (District) is seeking a qualified applicant to serve on the Lorain County Solid Waste Management Policy Committee. The policy committee was established in 1989 by Ohio law and a resolution from the Lorain County Commissioners with the following responsibilities:

• Prepare the District's Solid Waste Management Plan. A copy of the plan is on this website under management plan.
• Annually review of plan implementation and provide a report to County Commissioners.
• Establish or eliminate fees.

 

The following position is available:

One member representing the public, to be appointed by the four members of the committee specified in Ohio Revised Code. The member shall represent the general interests of the citizens of Lorain County. The candidate appointed to this committee shall serve for a term of two years. This position is voluntary and is not considered a salaried position with the Solid Waste office. Interested candidates must be available to attend monthly meetings which are held usually the second Tuesday of the month from 9:00am - 11:00am. Interested Lorain County Residents should submit their resume and a brief letter describing whey they would like to serve on the Policy Committee to bgardner@loraincounty.us.

2015 Photo/Caption Contest Winners Are Announced

This is the second year the District has offered this contest. The four winners selected are featured below. The winners will receive a $25 visa gift card as well as a certificate and poster of their picture. The teachers of the winners will also receive a poster of their student's winning picture to display at their school. Thank you to everyone that participated this year!

 

McKinley Elementary School

3rd Grade Class Project, Teacher: Mrs. Czerski

Caption/Title: Fall Into Recycling

 

 

Midview East Intermediate School

Jordan Oberg, 5th Grade    Teacher: Mrs. Long

Caption/Title: Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine

 

Vermilion High School

Macey Kowalski 10th Grade     Teacher: Mrs. Christen Schneid

Caption/Title: Recycling helps, even in the smallest amount

 

 

Midview High School

Sara Calhoun  11th Grade    Teacher: Heather Burns

Caption/Title:  Recycling Affects More Than The Planet

 

 

 

America Recycles Day is November 15, 2015

 

Recycling conserves natural resources, conserves energy and increases recycling related jobs. America Recycles Day is a national program for Keep America Beautiful. The campaign focus is to educate residents and students on the importance of recycling (Reduce - Reuse - Recycle), the impact it has on our environment, and it encourages everyone to make a commitment to recycle more by signing a recycling pledge. The District has exhibit at the Lorain County Metro Parks Carlisle Visitors Center from Nov 2nd - Nov 20th. Residents can get information on recycling and sign pledge cards. The District is also having a drawing where residents can sign up for a chance to win a free rain barrel!  In addition, there will be educational activity sheets for children along with the enlarged artwork images from our calendar contest. Click here to download the America Recycles Day pledge form.

 

 

 

  

Agricultural Tire Collection Event - September 24th from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Pre-registration is required. This is a FREE event for agricultural farms in Lorain County only. For more information please call 1-800-449-5463 or 440-328-2368.  More details are available on this flyer Ag Tire Collection Sept 2015.

 

 

Free Document Shredding Event ~ Saturday November 7th

9:00am - Noon

Parking Lot of Collection Center located at 540 South Abbe Road, Elyria

Lorain County Residents Only. For more information please click on this flyer Nov 7, 2015 Shred Day & Food Drive.

 

 

Lorain County Pride Day A Success!

 

On Saturday, May 16th over two thousand of Lorain County residents from 21 communities rolled up their sleeves to clean-up & spruce up their communities. Pride Day is part of a national campaign where one saturday is set aside in the spring to clean and beautify Lorain County. The Board of Commissioners and the Solid Waste District promote and sponsor this event each year as proud affiliates in good standing with Keep America Beautiful (KAB). The volunteers gave up their saturday and collected 101 tons of litter and trash while cleaning 91 miles of roadways, 331 acres of parks and 5 miles of waterway. In addition to litter clean-up, they planted 134 gardens and 406 flats of flowers. This year, volunteers generously donated over 6,200 hours to various beautification projects throughout Lorain County!

County Commissioner Lori Kokoski adds "Each year the volunteers work so hard in their communities. These cleanups add to the beauty of our county. Clean communities attract new residents and businesses. I'm proud of what the volunteers accomplished!"

   

  

 

Local Organization Receives Civic/Non-profit Award

 

The Board of Commissioners and the Solid Waste Management District (District) are pleased to announce that the LoCo Yaks has been awarded a Civic/Non-profit award from Keep Ohio Beautiful for their continuous efforts along the Black River in Lorain County. LoCo Yaks stands for Lorain County Kayak & Paddle Sports Group.  The group prides itself on its participation in various community events and organizes local river and beach cleanups throughout the year and hosts an annual event each spring.

According to District Director, Keith Bailey, "The District is a local affiliate of Keep Ohio Beautiful and has a Keep Lorain County Advisory Board. The nomination was submitted on the groups behalf based on their most recent Black River cleanup in May."  Members of the LoCo Yaks along with Districts Community Outreach Coordinator Brandi Schnell attended the award ceremony on July 10, 2015.  This year the group had 420 volunteers that removed 13.75 tons of garbage and 11.17 tons of tires from along the Black River.

County Commissioner Matt Lundy said "Organizations like this show how pride in your community and a passion for the environment can make a tremendous impact on where you live. It's wonderful to see that their hard work is recognized on a state level."

 

            

 

 2015 Calendar Contest Winners Announced

 

Every year the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District holds a Calendar Contest, which is open to all students in grades 1^st -12^th in all Lorain County Schools. As always, the talent this year was outstanding! County Commissioner Lori Kokoski and Brandi Schnell, Community Outreach Coordinator for the District judged the entries. Thirteen winners were selected to make up the 2016 calendar. Participation in the contest was excellent this year. The District received 1,381 student entries from 40 different schools within Lorain County.

Each winner received a $25 gift card which was donated by GT Environmental, a certificate of appreciation and a copy of their artwork. When the calendars are printed, each student will receive calendars to pass out to their family. All of the winners were invited to attend the Lorain County Board of Commissioner's meeting on June 10, 2015 to receive recognition and their certificate of appreciation. Seven of the winners were able to attend. We would like to thank all of the students who participated by sending in an entry and the teachers and parents who facilitated that! We would also like to thank our gift card sponsor, GT Environmental as well as the Lorain County Board of Commissioners for all of their support of this District contest.

 

Here are the 2015 Calendar Contest winners:

     

                                 Audrey Falish                                                                        Chayce Baldwin

 

      

                                     John Belak                                                                           Larren Round

 

      

                                   Max Delotel                                                                            Olivia Quick     

 

      

                                 Sara Calhoun                                                                             Sarah Slack

 

  

                                 Zach Baldwin                                                                          Tyrell Howard

 

   

                               Rebecca Striffler                                                                          Lilly Parker

 

 

                                       Cora Born

2015 Pride Day/Week Communities Participating

• Amherst
• Amherst Township
• Avon
• Avon Lake
• Carlisle Township
• Elyria
• Garden Initiative with Garden Soxx being distributed from Lorain County
• Collection Center Grafton Township
• Huntington Township
• Findley State Park
• Kipton Village
• Lorain
• New Russia Township
• North Ridgeville
• Oberlin
• Penfield Township
• Pittsfield Township
• Rochester Township
• Sheffield Lake
• Sheffield Village
• South Amherst Village
• Vermilion
• Wellington Township

 

To sign-up for Lorain County Pride Day events in your community, call Brandi Schnell with Lorain County Solid Waste at 328-2249

 

 C.R. Meyers Scholarship

The Ohio Association of Litter Prevention and Recycling Professionals (OALPRP) is offering a $1,000 scholarship (C.R. Meyers Memorial Scholarship) to a deserving student from Ohio. To qualify for the scholarship, a student must:

Plan to enroll or currently be enrolled at an accredited Ohio college, university or technical school.
Have declared or plan to declare a major relating to environmental sciences or environmental education.
Scholarship forms may be downloaded at www.oalprp.org (click on the link for "Scholarships") or obtained by contacting the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District at 800-449-5463.

Deadline for submission of the application is April 15, 2015. Click here for a flyer with some more information.
Shred Unwanted Documents - Sat., Apr. 18, 2015

At the Sat., Apr. 18, 2015 "Shred-It" Day & Food Drive from 9 am - 12 pm, Lorain County residents will be able to bring their documents to the parking lot of the Lorain County Collection Center in Elyria and have them shredded for free on-site. The event is sponsored by the Board of Commissioners and Business Records Management out of Wickliffe, Ohio.

Residents will need to bring identification showing proof of residency in Lorain County and are limited to 5 boxes / 5 blue grocery bags. They will also need drive into the facility and must take their empty boxes with them; residents should not exit their vehicles.

For more information, please see the official Shred Day & Food Drive Event Flyer or call Keith Bailey, Lorain County Solid Waste District Director at (800) 449-5463, or email kbailey@loraincounty.us.

 

Fall 2014 Farm Tire Collection - Figures Are In!

The Board of Commissioners and the Solid Waste Management District (LCSWMD) are pleased to announce the agricultural/farm tire collection event that was held during last fall on September 25, 2014 was the largest event like it to date!

LCSWMD Director Keith Bailey, said “The District once again was able to partner again with Grafton Correctional Institution to utilize prisoners from the community service program. Their assistance in loading the trailers is key to keeping the event moving quickly.”

 The event took place in the parking lot of the Lorain County Collection Center (located at 540 S. Abbe Rd. in Elyria, OH 44035) and was free to all Lorain County residents that owned and/or operated farm equipment. The District staff scheduled the times for participants and pre-registered just under 1,400 agricultural tires for the one day event! During the 5-hour event, District received and loaded 60.08 tons of agricultural tires! This special collection event was made possible by grant funds awarded from Ohio EPA.

For more information regarding the District, please call Keith Bailey, the Director of the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District at (440) 329-5442.

 

Take the America Recycles Day (ARD) Pledge

America Recycles DayRecycling is the single most effective thing that every one of us can do to help the environment. It doesn’t take a lot of effort on our part, but the rewards are substantial. Recycling not only saves room in our landfills, it also saves vital natural resources, conserves energy and increases recycling-related jobs.

This year, make the commitment to recycle more and sign the 2014 America Recycles Day Pledge Form, or submit your information using the form below.

Completed forms should be sent to Solid Waste's Community Outreach Coordinator Brandi Schnell at bschnell@loraincounty.us or stop by the Metro Parks Carlisle Visitors Center (CVC) to complete the pledge form and enter your name for a chance to win a free rain barrel donated by the City of Avon Lake, Ohio's Engineering Department.

The CVC will also feature the enlarged winning drawings from our 2014 calendar contest, pertinent recycling information, and children’s activity sheets. Pledge forms and display will be available at the visitor’s center from Nov. 3 -21, 1014. Please visit the ARD's website for a complete list of activities available.

Thanks again to all of you who participated in this worthwhile event. Help us to make recycling work by making every day America Recycles Day (ARD).

 

Upcoming Events for America Recycles Day 2014

Sponsored by the Carlisle Visitors Center (CVC)...

CALENDAR ARTWORK DISPLAY - On display from November 3 - 21, 2014 in main hallway at the CVC (located at 12882 Diagonal Road, LaGrange, OH 44050)
RAIN BARREL CONTEST - Lorain County residents over age 13 are eligible to enter

 PLEDGE CARDS & ARD GIVEAWAYS - Pencils, notepads & calendars will be available for attendees; Literature will be available; Pledge cards collected in box to be counted by the Lorain County Solid Waste District.
Sponsored by the Lorain County Metro Parks (LCMP)...

 RECYCLING DRIVE - Saturday November 15, 2014 (LVP - Lake View Park) from1:00pm - 3:00pm. Bring your glass, plastic, or paper to recycle for America Recycles Day and learn about recycling

 WINE BOTTLE ART - Saturday November 22, 2014 (MNP - Miller Nature Preserve) from 1:00 – 2:00 pm. Make a holiday wine bottle creation with lights; Bring an empty wine bottle. Pre-Register by 11/17/2014. Cost is: $15 members /$18 Non-Members.

 

"3Rs" Photo/Caption Contest Winners Announced

Commissioner Lori Kokoski and LCSWMD's Community Outreach Coordinator Brandi Schnell judged the entries. There were so many great photographs that it was difficult to narrow it down. In the end there were 4 winners chosen. Congratulations to our winners! Because of the lack of entries in the K-2nd grade category – two winners were chosen in the 6th – 8th grade category.

Each winner will receive a $25.00 gift card, certificate and poster of their winning picture. We would like to congratulate our winners and say thank you to all the students who submitted an entry and to the teachers who made this into a class project or circulated this contest information to your students! Here are the pictures with their winning captions...

Liana Shaheen
3rd Grade

From: Liberty Elementary (North Ridgeville)

Ms. Persing’s Class

Caption: "I found some old crunch paper, tissue boxes, papertowel tubes, and empty shoeboxes to build my robot. To make it look good, I covered it with aluminum foil and put some old buttons and added a broken hairbow."

Ethan Cooper
8th Grade

From: Amherst Junior
High School

Mrs. Sears Class

Caption: “A little recycling can go a long way.”

Jaden Szantay
7th Grade

From: Amherst Junior
High School

Mrs. Sears Class

Caption: “Recycle - It’s that simple."

Joey Rini
12th Grade

From: Vermilion High School

Ms. Schneid Class

Caption: “Recycling Irony.”

Senior Living Fair & Community Appreciation Day

The Lorain County Solid Waste District's staff members attended the Lorain County Senior Living Fair and Lorain County JVS' Community Appreciation Day on October 4, 2014. Thousands of people came out to the Lorain County JVS for the festivities.

There were many activities throughout the day including a flu shot clinic, book fair, free lunch for senior citizens, and lots of area vendors and organizations on display. Lorain County Solid Waste had a drawing for a rain barrel and received almost 100 entries.

 Senior Living Fair & LCJVS Community Appreciation Day

The winner was Sharron Powell of the City of Lorain. She was very excited to learn her name had been picked and is excited to pick up her new rain barrel!

In addition to the rain barrel drawing – the District collected pledge cards for America Recycles Day which is coming up in November. Most people commented that they had been recycling for many years and hardly have any garbage to put out anymore. That’s great news!

 NEW! Photo/Caption Contest for All Local Students

This is the 1st year for students to enter our photo/caption contest. We encourage students in grades 1st - 12th in all Lorain County schools to take a digital photograph using your camera or smart phone, of anything related to the 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Photos may be staged or spontaneous. For example, you could take a photo of household recyclables, an item you’ve made from recyclables, or an example of something that is being reused. Add a caption that captures the character of the photo and will encourage others to follow the 3 R’s.

There will be 4 contest winners. Participants will be judged in 4 categories; K - 2nd; 3rd - 5th; 6th - 8th; 9th - 12th. Winners will receive a poster of their winning photo, certificate of recognition and $25 gift card. Include your name, teacher’s name, school name and grade level with your entry. Submit your entry via email to bschnell@loraincounty.us, or by traditional mail to: Lorain County Solid Waste Management District, Attn: Brandi Schnell (226 Middle Ave., 5th Fl., Elyria, OH 44035).

 National Prescription Drug Take-Back on Sept. 27

The next DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday, September 27 from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a twice-per-year event that provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. Find a participating local law enforcement agency near you.

 "FreeCycle" Your Unwanted Kitchen Applicances

On Friday, July 11, 2014 from 9 am - 1 pm, start "FreeCycling" - giveaway your usable, unwanted kitchen items to others instead of disposing of them in landfills.

The Lorain County Solid Waste District invites you to come drop-off your donations of new/gently-used kitchen items, and small working appliances at the Oberlin Depot (located at 240 S. Main St., Oberlin, OH 44074). For details about the Oberlin Freecycling Kitchen Event, see the FreeCycle Event Flyer.

 Pride Day Now Expanded to Become Pride Week

This year, the Lorain County Solid Waste District is expanding its local efforts to promote “Pride Week”. Starting on Mon. May, 12, 2014, residents can attend various educational and informative events throughout Lorain County for FREE - leading up to the communities’ cleanup and beautification projects held on Pride Day scheduled for Sat., May 17, 2014. For details, see the Pride Week 2014 Activities Calendar.

 Pride Day: A Cleaning, Greening Community Event

What does a clean, green, colorful community mean to you? A quiet park where you can sit and read a good book, watch the waves breaking over the rocks or the sunset on a warm summer evening? People instinctively feel safer in clean, well-kept, surroundings.

Saturday, May 17th is Pride Day in Lorain County. A chance to clean up neighborhoods and parks to ensure everyone can feel safe and secure in their environment. Plan on joining your friends and neighbors to weed, mulch, plant, sweep, rake, paint or any other chore you prefer to do.

In 2014 the Keep Lorain County Beautiful Advisory Board is planning to extend the event into a “Pride Week”. From May 12-16, 2014, there will be special events and demonstrations. Check back often for updates or look for ads in local newspapers.

For more information or to volunteer for Pride Day, please contact Sally Pecora at (440) 329-5467 or at specora@loraincounty.us. Help to keep our county clean, green, beautiful and safe.

 Year-Round Drop-Off for Unused Medications

Now you don’t have to wait for 6 months to dispose of unused medications. These materials can be dropped off year-round at the following locations...

Amherst Police Department
911 North Lake Street, Amherst

Avon Police Department
36145 Detroit Road, Avon

Avon Lake Police Department
32855 Walker Road, Avon Lake

Grafton Police Department
Departmentp1009 Chestnut Street, Grafton

LaGrange Police Department
355 South Center Street, Lagrange

Lorain County Sheriff's Office
9896 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria

North Ridgeville Police Department
7307 Avon-Belden Road, North Ridgeville

Oberlin Police Department
85 South Main Street, Oberlin

Sheffield Lake Police Department
609 Harris Street, Sheffield Lake

Sheffield Village Police Department
4340 Colorado Avenue, Sheffield Village

Vermilion Police Department
5791 Liberty Avenue, Vermilion

Wellington Police Department
117 Willard Memorial Square, Wellington

Keep Lorain County Beautiful Has A New Board

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) was created in 1953 to promote a national cleanliness ethic. Through it’s 1,200 affiliates and millions of volunteers, the nation’s leading non-profit brings people together to build and sustain vibrant communities.

Lorain County Solid Waste has been a KAB Affiliate since May 25, 1995. Keep Lorain County Beautiful (KLCB) was instrumental in beginning Pride Day, a one-day event designed to clean up and spruce up the county as part of KAB’s Great American Cleanup Program.

In March 2013 a new, larger board was seated in hopes of bringing more ideas and direction to the programs KAB offers. Under their direction America Recycles Day was expanded to included events at the LC Metro Parks, LCCC and LC schools. Plans are also underway for a bigger and better Pride Day event for 2014. Watch for more updates and programs from KLCB in the future. For more information on KAB visit their new web site at www.kab.org.

 New Online Database for Drop-Off Opportunities

Do you ever find yourself searching for locations to drop off certain materials? The District now has a new tool to make your searches easier. Vendor information for several Lorain County businesses is now available on the Ecoville web site.

To start your search, visit myecoville.com/ecopoint. You can search by material, location or organization. Maybe you have a bag of aluminum cans you’d like to recycle. Put aluminum cans in the material box.

If you type in your zip code, a list of vendors will appear at the bottom of the page. Click on a vendor for their address, hours of operation and the materials that they accept. If you are unfamiliar with the business, click on the pin on the map, type your address in the box and a map will appear with detailed directions.

 Successful C.A.B. Trailer Program Expanded

The Lorain County Solid Waste Management District (District) recently announced the expansion of its “CAB” (Clean and Beautiful) Program. The CAB is an enclosed trailer stocked with equipment necessary for clubs and organizations to perform litter clean up and/or beautification projects here in Lorain County. Clubs, communities and organizations can request to borrow the trailer for FREE!

The District was able to clean up and utilize three additional trailers in various sizes to incorporate and expand this program. The three trailers have not been used in years. The logical solution was for the District to rehab the existing trailers and expand the current program that has had such positive feedback from communities and residents alike.

District Director, Keith Bailey, said “With Pride Day fast approaching, the District will now be able to offer volunteers more opportunities in cleaning up and beautifying our county. Volunteers have always been plentiful and eager to work during Pride Day activities. Having 4 stocked CAB trailers for their use will certainly make their efforts easier. It’s a win-win for everyone”.

The CAB trailers will be available for use from spring through late fall. Anyone interested in borrowing a CAB trailer should contact Tiffany Barker at 440-328-2368 or Sally Pecora at 440-329-5467. For more information regarding the program, please see the CAB Trailer Program Flyer.

 Highlights from the 2014 Invention Convention

Student Papermaking ActivityFor the last few years, the Educational Services Center of Lorain County (ESC of Lorain County) has put together an event for 4th grade students in Lorain County. On Thursday, February 20, 2014, this year’s event called the “Invention Convention” brought together nearly 70 students at the Center to share their inventions.

The Invention Convention invites students to use creativity and critical thinking to create an invention to solve an everyday problem or to make daily tasks simpler. Students presented their invention, display board, and scientific journal to judges who then scored students based on their scientific reasoning skills, originality, data collection, and construction.

In addition to having their inventions displayed and judged, the students were also given the opportunity to participate in a papermaking activity presented by Recycling Educator Mrs. Brandi Schnell of the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District. The students enjoyed their time making paper and seeing each other’s inventions. Below are some pictures from the Invention Convention 2014!

 Take the Ohio Bar & Restaurant Recycling Survey

The Ohio Bar & Restaurant Recycling Survey is designed to gather information from bars and restaurants about your current recycling practices. This information is very valuable because it will help Miami University and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency develop a glass marketing toolkit.

This toolkit will target commercial establishments and help them develop, implement, and monitor a recycling program that is specific for their business needs. By volunteering to complete this survey, you can help this state-wide problem and improve your community's local economy and environmental stewardship.

Please note that the survey is anonymous, volunteer-based, online-accessed and open until May 1, 2014.

 School Pizza Party Held for ARD Pledge Drawing

America Recycles Day (ARD) is a Keep America Beautiful event held each year on November 15th. For ARD, people are encouraged to sign a pledge card which states they will do their part to recycle more in the upcoming year. During the year 2013, the Lorain County Solid Waste District held several events resulting in 1,892 people taking the ARD pledge.

One such event was a pledge drive in the Lorain County schools. Teachers were given a pledge sheet for their students to sign. Each of the 70 teachers who participated, by returning their pledge sheets, were entered into a drawing for a pizza party.

The winning teacher for the ARD 2013 event was Mr. Anthony Laveglia at Liberty Elementary School in North Ridgeville and his 2nd grade class. Our local District Solid Waste Educator, Brandi Schnell, personally delivered the pizzas to the classroom for the party on Friday, January 10, 2014!

The class was in great spirits as they each got their pizza and pop. The teacher and students were very grateful and said they can’t wait for the next LCSWMD recycling presentations and contests! Here are some pictures from that fun day!

 2013 America Recycles Day Pizza Party

C.A.B. Trailer Program Available County-Wide

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners and the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District are excited to announce a new program being launched in conjunction with Pride Day (Saturday, May 18, 2013).

The “C.A.B.”, otherwise know as the Clean And Beautiful Trailer, is available starting this week for FREE to any volunteer organization in Lorain County. The District received a grant from Keep America Beautiful and the Lowe’s Charitable & Educational Foundation last year.

For more information or to schedule it for your upcoming beautification project, please contact the District through either Sally Pecora at (440) 329-5467 or Tiffany Barker at (440) 328-2368.

Collection Center Now Accepting New Recyclables

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners and the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District are pleased to announce that effective March 1, 2013 residents & small businesses can now drop off their recyclables at the Lorain County Collection Center (located at 540 South Abbe Rd., Elyria, OH 44035).

Now you will be able to drop off plastics #1-7 (identifiable by the number in the recycling arrows on the bottom of the item), glass jars & bottles, steel cans and paper. This new program will be free and is an expanded service to the District’s recent announcement of accepting cardboard and boxboard.