12 local sculptors are working today to install their works. From whales made of trash to crocheted plastic bags, the resulting art will be available to view through April 28. With some works as large as ten feet tall by ten feet wide, the result is a visible statement about utilizing and encouraging the use of recycling and recyclable materials in everyday Cincinnatians’ lives.

The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) is EcoSculpt’s official sponsor. “We are excited to be a part of such an innovative event,” said Sean Fisher, General Outreach Manager for GCEA. “EcoSculpt not only spreads a message of environmental responsibility, but also provides a stage for emerging artists in the area.”

The event will culminate in an awards program on Earth Day, April 22 at 12pm on Fountain Square. Those interested can check out the sculptures on Fountain Square this weekend, and vote on their favorites at online. The votes will be used to help determine the 2011 People’s Choice Award winner.

EcoSculpt 2010 photograph by Thadd Fiala for UrbanCincy.

The finalists from California, Minnesota, Alabama, Florida and Ohio were selected by the sponsors, and then voted on by the general public. Cincinnati’s entry was produced by Cincinnati-based Get Sick Productions, in association with the Office of Environmental Quality, and will be used as the 2010 commercial for the Cans for Cash initiative.

“The videos showcased the diversity of communities and their unique approaches to recycling and again proved that cities are leading the charge towards a greener tomorrow,” said Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Congratulations to the City of Cincinnati on their impressive win and all the cities on their commitment to recycling programs.”

Cincinnati will be honored at the U.S. Conference of Mayors 78th Winter Meeting in Washington D.C. this January along with a host of other cities for their innovative recycling programs and impressive recycling rates.

Click here to order your extra recycling bin.

Acceptable Items for Recycling:

• All plastic bottles and jugs (no lids)
• Glass jars and bottles of any color
• Aluminum, steel and bi-metal cans
• Empty aerosol cans with lids and tips removed
• Brown grocery bags
• Computer paper, and other mixed office paper
• Corrugated cardboard, broken down to 3′ X 3′
• Envelopes, with or without windows
• Junk mail
• Magazines
• Newspapers with inserts
• Paperboard, such as cereal boxes
• Telephone books
• Pizza boxes (free of food residue)

Download the list of acceptable recycling materials and guidelines to keep around the house or post for your tenants.

Please be sure to rinse out and dry all jars, jugs and bottles before placing them in your bin. Bottle caps are not currently accepted in the City recycling program, however, plastic lids (i.e. milk jugs) can be taken to any Aveda Institute for recycling. Metal lids (i.e. spaghetti sauce jars) can be recycled at any scrap dealer in the area who accepts steel.

For those residents who do not currently have curbside recycling services (households who have private trash service dumpsters) can collect their recyclables and take them to various recycling drop off locations around the city. Signage at the drop off centers will be updated within the next few weeks to reflect the changes in materials accepted.

Rumpke has not expanded these changes to the entirety of its service area. These changes are only reflected for the City of Cincinnati. According to Sue Magness from the Office of Environmental Quality, “Technically, the new sorting facility is still under construction and they are temporarily warehousing the materials. So Rumpke will expand as new contracts are established (as in the case of the City), or after the installation of the “state of the art” equipment is complete.”

The announcement comes on the heels of tumultuous budget discussions that backtracked on a funding promise that would have provided new larger recycling carts for Cincinnatians and gotten the city started with a RecycleBank program that rewards users for the amount they recycle. Those upgrades to the City’s recycling program would have paid for themselves almost immediately through the higher payments the City would have received from Rumpke Recycling for higher recycling volumes.

Cincinnati Recycling Program Announcement photograph by Jenny Kessler.

The video focuses on promoting Cincinnati’s recycling program and is now looking for your votes as it competes with five others from around the country for your votes. The winning city will take home $5,000 for their local recycling efforts. You can vote once a day…so vote early, and vote often for Cincinnati as the public voting closes on Saturday, October 31. VOTE HERE!

Also be sure to check out Feoshia Henderson’s story on Get Sick Productions in yesterday’s Soapbox issue.

During the budget discussions in past weeks, many fiscal conservatives openly mocked the idea of investing in new recycling carts for City residents. The 64-gallon wheeled recycling carts would have put recycling on a comparable level to normal trash pick up in terms of capacity, but would have also cost the City a $3.5 million of upfront capital. The debate was quickly ended and the discussion about improving the City’s recycling program has been indefinitely suspended.

These are not the first of the items that have set waste collection and recycling back in Cincinnati. In November 2008, City Manager Dohoney proposed a new waste collection fee to help balance the budget, and went on to say that a $300,000 study of a automated trash collection system using trucks that lift cans with mechanical levers instead of having city workers do the heavy lifting.

Photo from the City of Cincinnati

The automated system would, in the long-term, save the City money as Dohoney reported that “we are averaging seven people out a month with some type of injury as a result of how we collect solid waste.” Dohoney went on to say that those injuries were costing the City approximately $1 million a year. Both this, and the trash collection fee, were met with heavy criticism as many did not like the idea of a new fee, for an otherwise indirectly paid for service through property taxes.

But as the politicians and community leaders continue to punt this issue back and forth the problems still exist. Cincinnati’s rates of recycling are far too low, the costs associated with trash collection are still too high, the efficiency of collecting trash is still not where it needs to be, and users still have no benefit to reduce their waste production.

The solutions are present. City Manager Dohoney’s proposal was a step in the right direction, but the adoption of a RecycleBank-style program would be another step towards reducing the production of waste and encouraging higher rates of recycling. A ‘Pay as You Throw’ (PYT) system would require users to pay for their waste collection based on the amount of waste they produce, something that would encourage lower rates of waste production and higher rates of recycling when paired with a RecycleBank-style program.

It is truly unfortunate to see long-term economic, social and environmental benefits cast aside due to the fear of an initial capital cost that is seen as either being wasteful or too much given the current economy. In addition to growing revenue streams, cities also need to find ways to improve their efficiencies for not only their customers, but their bottom lines. These kinds of actions would help avoid future personnel cuts the next time an economic downturn hits, and make city operations more responsive.

The results from these cuts will be seen quickly and easily as people will immediately start discarding their yard waste with their regular trash. The use of smaller recycling bins versus larger carts that are easier to use will continue to stack the deck against recycling over regular disposal that might be more convenient. The progress that Cincinnati has made on this front in recent years might just all be lost in one budget cycle.

Yard Waste Cancellation Details:
Beginning Friday, August 21, yard waste collection will be discontinued as a separate service. The City will maintain regular garbage collection and will pick up yard waste as a part of that, although City officials strongly encourage residents and business owners to find alternative means to discarding their yard waste (i.e. composting, mulching, yard waste drop-offs). If you have additional questions, or would like to find the Hamilton County yard waste drop-off location nearest you visit this website.