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Edmond Life and Leisure - January 30, 2025
Edmond recycling efforts strong with programs expanding & growing
From City Source Edmond
For more than 90 percent of City Edmond solid waste customers, “blue” is a favorite color.
In 2024, 92 percent of customers participated in the Edmond Recycles program, filling blue recycling bins at their homes as part of the City’s residential recycling program. Between that service and, now, two drop off locations, residents recycled 5,221 tons of materials in 2024.
“The City of Edmond’s recycling program is committed to removing as much waste as possible from the stream for re-use and recycling,” said Bobby Masterson, the Assistant Director of Public Works, who saw his team handle 62,708 tons of solid waste in 2024. “Lowering the amount of waste that enters the landfill is the goal.”
The reach of the Edmond Recycles program continues to grow. Recently, the University of Central Oklahoma and the City entered an agreement for a more sustainable future with the addition of an
SPOTLIGHT: Edmond residents feeling ‘blue’ –and that’s a good thing for recycling
Edmond Recycles program expands with a new drop off location on the UCO campus
City Source
on-campus recycling collection center. The center, located in Parking Lot 3, 427 Chartrand Ave., is available for use by the UCO and Edmond communities.
Edmond Public Works Authority provided five containers for recycling materials, with weekly pickups. Acceptable collection items include glass, aluminum, plastics numbers one and two, paper and cardboard.
“We are excited to launch this partnership with UCO. Their commitment to recycling mirrors the commitment of our residents,” Masterson said. “This convenient, centralized location that is open to the public will benefit UCO students, staff and the community as a whole. We look forward to a successful partnership for years to come.”
Nearly 400 recycling bins across the UCO campus are emptied weekly by UCO Facilities Management. Through this new partnership, UCO Facilities Management will no longer have to store and transport recycled materials to an off-campus recycling facility –– using the new, on-campus containers for all recycling collected at UCO.
“Thanks to this partnership with the City of Edmond, our team will have direct access to the collection containers, which will greatly increase our efficiency,” said Kelly Vaughn, Director of Facilities Administration at UCO. “The City of Edmond has generously provided the recycling bins and weekly collection service at no cost to UCO or the community. We are very grateful for their support so we can continue to do our part to care for the environment.”
The agreement builds on an existing memorandum of understanding between UCO and the City of Edmond, aiming for a more sustainable future through collaboration in areas like energy efficiency, ecosystem health, alternative fuels and public transportation, solid waste and recycling management, parks and recreation facilities, water and wastewater resources and educational opportunities.
For residents who don’t have time or the ability to drop off recycling materials at the UCO and the City’s 5300 Recycle Trail facility, curbside service makes participation easy.
As part of the curbside service, blue recycling carts are picked up on a bi-weekly basis. Recycling collection is scheduled for the same day as weekly trash cart collection. However, the recycling and trash are collected by different trucks and at different times of the same day.
To participate is easy. Residents place their blue recycling cart at the curb/roadway in front of their house before 7 a.m. on their designated collection day. The time of day varies for recycling collections. The collectors will work until dark to complete their routes if needed. Residents are asked to leave at least four feet between the recycling cart and the trash cart.
Residents can place all recycling materials in the cart. There is no need to separate the materials. Newspapers can be gathered and placed in a brown, craft paper bag before putting them in the recycling cart. This helps to keep them from blowing out of the cart or collection truck on windy days.
Accepted recycling items include:
• Aerosol Cans (only if they are completely empty)
• Aluminum beverage cans
•Glass bottles/jars
•Prescription vials, yogurt containers, dairy containers, margarine tubs, detergent containers, and fabric softener bottles stamped with a 1 & 2
• Magazines and phone books
• Cake and Cereal boxes
• Juice boxes and other paper cartons
• Newspapers, including ad inserts
• Plastic beverage containers, food containers, clean garden pots, flats, and detergent jugs that are stamped with a 1 & 2 on the bottom
• Shampoo and conditioner bottles stamped with a 2 on the bottom
• Tin food cans and lids (rinse clean, no need to remove labels)
• Cardboard (corrugated paper board)
Glass is accepted only for residential service. Just like plastic and paper items, glass items must be clean and dry before placed in the recycling cart. Glass items are not accepted at the 5300 Recycle Trail drop-off facility, which accepts only paper, cardboard, plastic, cans and aluminum. There is no fee to take recyclable items to the 5300 Recycle Trail drop-off facility. To utilize this service, a utility bill and driver's license must be shown to verify you are an Edmond
Solid Waste Customer. For information on pickup schedules, items that can be placed in the residential recycling bin and more, go to Edmondok.gov/EdmondRecycles. Learn more about what’s happening around the City at www.edmondok.gov/CitySource.
