Recycling program going strong
Blythe-Oldfield Community Association making statement in the neighborhood and community
BLYTHE-OLDFIELD COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION President Julia Porter and Vice President Shirley Knight stand with the recently installed sign promoting the association’s recycling program. Organizers hope the environment-friendly program will grow through the moving of recycling bins outside the Blythe Avenue Family Support Center and the addition of a sign. The sign designates that the bins are a part of the association’s program. The program is nearing its two-year mark, and was started in the building with the nonprofit offices housed there.
JOYANNA LOVE Banner Senior Staff Writer
An effort to make recycling convenient to those in the Blythe-Oldfield Community Association is taking a more visual approach.
Organizers hope the environment-friendly program will grow through the moving of recycling bins outside the Blythe Avenue Family Support Center and the addition of a sign.
The sign designates that the bins are a part of the association’s program.
“We wanted recycling close, because most people in our neighborhood don’t have cars and they can’t drive to recycling (centers),” said Shirley Knight, association vice president.
The program is nearing its two-year mark, and was started in the building with the nonprofit offices housed there.
The Boys & Girls Clubs Blythe Unit embraced the idea with a logo contest. The winning logo was featured on reusable, durable bags distributed in the neighborhood to encourage people to carry recycling to the family support center. The children have continued to support recycling by gathering recyclables from each of the offices in the building and taking them to the designated bins.
Program expansion to the Blythe-Oldfield community was made possible through a partnership with Coca-Cola and the city of Cleveland. BOCA president Julia Porter said the company provides the bins used for the recycling and picks them up when they are full.
“It is 100 percent free. We have not paid a penny for recycling,” Porter said.
Impact Cleveland lets members of the neighborhood know about the program with flyers every couple of months.
As awareness of the program has grown, the number of people recycling has increased.
“I’ve been really impressed with the neighbors and the participation,” Porter said.
The new sign will also help to raise awareness of where recyclers can participate.
“People have said they didn’t know where it was,” Knight said.
The sign was installed by the city of Cleveland’s sign shop.
As recycling increases in the neighborhood, trash decreases, Knight said.
Many things the people throw out can actually be recycled. The Blythe program accepts aluminum, paper, cardboard and No. 1 plastics. Plastics range in number from 1 to 7. The number for the plastic can be found on the bottom of the item. No. 1 plastics are usually clear.
“Education is a big part of it,” Porter said.
For example, a milk jug is a No. 2 plastic and cannot currently be accepted at the BOCA recycling program.
The Family Support Center also encourages recycling at all of its events.
The center is located at 966 Blythe Ave. The recycling bins are on the edge of the parking lot closed to Ninth Street.
Plastics that are not accepted in the Blythe-Oldfield Community program can be recycled at the facilities available at 3110 Peerless Road and 234 Urbane Road. The Peerless Road facility is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 11:30 a.m.to 5:30 p.m. The Urbane Road facility is open Tuesday and Thursday, 1-5 p.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
As the community program grows, the city of Cleveland is also researching whether a recycling program for downtown would be feasible.