Youth group to benefit from Akron recycling

Downtown Akron is getting a new recycling program, and an Akron youth group will be collecting aluminum cans in a national contest in the month of April.

Those were the two green or environmentally friendly announcements made by Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic on Monday.

The city is working with the Downtown Akron Partnership to expand and boost recycling for businesses in a pilot program that will begin in April.

The city has invested in 224 recycling containers: 154 30-?gallon pop bottle-shaped containers, 50 50-gallon dome-shaped recycling bins and 30 300-gallon containers.

The bins were acquired with an $18,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Six of the largest containers will be at Maiden Lane Alley, Paul Williams Street, Canal Square Apartments, Crave-?Musica, Canal Park Stadium and Northside Lofts.

They will replace the cardboard-only bins that the Downtown Akron Partnership has had in place since 2009. That cost the nonprofit business group about $2,000 a year. It has collected 260,000 pounds of cardboard.

Akron will provide the containers for free and will expand the recycling to include additional materials: No. 1-7 plastics, glass, aluminum and metal cans, paper and newspaper.

Akron is also locating 300-?gallon containers in the Cascade Parking Garage, the Akron Center Parking Garage, the High/Market Garage, the State Street Garage, the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron and the Opportunity Park Garage.

All businesses using those parking facilities are encouraged to join in the recycling program.

The 30- and 50-gallon containers will be used in the downtown area, including Lock 3, Lock 4, along parade routes and at special events.

City crews will collect the material, and Greenstar Recycling, the company handling Akron’s curbside recycling, will sort and recycle the material at its facility. Businesses will not have to sort the material going into the bins.

“I am very excited that we can provide these services, not just in our public arenas, but that we can open it up to also service our downtown businesses and customers,” Plusquellic said.

The city’s intent is to manage the downtown recycling operation so it is ongoing, the mayor said.

The Downtown Akron Partnership is “thrilled” with the expansion of recycling downtown, said Suzie Graham, executive director of the group.

Her group will no longer have to pay for the recycling bins because of the city’s action.

Additional bins may be available if the recycling load is extremely heavy, said Rob Harris, superintendent of Akron’s trash and recycling division.

Can collection

The Akron PeaceMakers, a local anti-crime youth group, will be collecting aluminum cans April 1-28 in a national contest — with Akron’s blessing and support.

Cans can be dropped off at 35 sites in Akron, including fire stations and community centers. For a list, go to www.akronpeacemakers.org.

Akron residents with curbside recycling can just put their aluminum cans out on the curb in their recycling carts. The Akron Peace-?Makers will get credit based on estimates of how much aluminum is in the materials to be recycled.

Local businesses with recycling can help by providing documentation on how many cans were recycled in April, said Billy Soule, an assistant to Plusquellic and founder of Akron PeaceMakers.

Aluminum cans will also be collected by the 85-?member group to benefit the burn unit at Akron Children’s Hospital from 1 to 3 p.m. April 22 at Lock 3 Park.

The students are competing against other cities for cash prizes in a contest sponsored by the United States Conference of Mayors and Novelis, an aluminum firm.

The student group is excited to take the lead, President Telayne Keith said at the city-backed news conference.

Any prize money will be funneled into the student program, officials said.

For information or to help, contact Soule at 330-375-2660.