Auglaize County solid waste district reports increase in revenue in 2012

WAPAKONETA - Funds remain strong for the Auglaize County Solid Waste Management District.

District superintendent Dave Reichelderfer told board members during their biannual meeting on Tuesday the solid waste management fund has a cash balance of $609,227 as of Sept. 30.

Total revenue year to date is $1.13 million, which includes a carryover of $428,932 from 2011. Total expenditures as of Sept. 30 were $523,858.

Part of the revenue comes from generation fees paid to the county. As of Aug. 31, garbage collectors in the county reported bringing 21,792 tons of solid waste to various landfills, paying $196,134 in generation fees. Those fees go back to the county.

Reichelderfer said this year's amount is an increase of $10,485 from the same time period in 2011 and $12,115 from 2010. The additional revenue was due to a landfill in Toledo reporting an increase of more than 900 tons of waste in August. Reichelderfer did not say why the waste amount increased that one month.

The district's recycling fund revenue stands at $132,266, which includes a carryover of $24,570 from last year. Total expenditures as of Sept. 30 were $109,218, leaving a cash balance of $23,470.

Auglaize County also received a $1,300 litter grant, a $21,720 recycling grant and a $8,800 tire grant from the state this year. Reichelderfer has received the grants for several years.

These grants have allowed the district to expand the county's recycling program; sponsor cleanups, including the cleanup of county rivers; and host tire collection days.

Reichelderfer's department hosted a tire collection day on Oct. 17 at the fairgrounds in Wapakoneta. Nearly 3,000 tires were collected for recycling.

He plans to use the recycling grant to purchase more drop-off bins and newspaper collection semi-trailers for the various recycling sites in the county. Purchasing more bins will allow county workers to make fewer collection trips, saving money.

Reichelderfer also plans to set up a ninth drop-off site, most likely in the southeast area of the county.  Drop-off trailers are located in Waynesfield, Cridersville, Wapakoneta, St. Marys, New Bremen and Minster and in St. Marys and Salem townships.

In the future, Reichelderfer said he would like to apply for grants to start recycling programs for construction and demolition debris and polystyrene (Styrofoam).

The county accepted polystyrene in the 1990s but stopped when the company in Chicago that recycled it went out of business.

"We tried to find another company ... but the best we could come up with was a place in New Jersey," he said.

It would have cost the county $700 to ship it there with the company only paying $400 for the shipment. More companies are beginning to accept polystyrene, which should give the county more options, Reichelderfer said.

He also plans to look into purchasing a densifier that would melt the polystyrene into small cubes, allowing for cheaper shipping.