Keep Hardin County Beautiful encourages recycling at the fair

Keep Hardin County Beautiful started recycling at the Hardin County Fair 2017 and it was a success.

The group collected 100 pounds of plastic water and pop bottles and pop cans.

Its hope is that with people seeing the recycling bins around the fairgrounds and adding 15 more next year, recycling will be even better received at this year’s fair, said Deb Oestreich, KHCB program manager.

KHCB officials said one problem is there was a more than desirable amount of trash in the recycle bins last year.

They note it says right on the lids of all the bins “Plastic Bottles and Cans Only.”

KHCB tried to put a recycle bin by each trash can in the back midway, to the west of the livestock barns and arena, a few in the furthest midway, next to the east entrance to the fairgrounds and two by the grandstand.

“So … if it’s trash, put it in the trash can and if it’s a plastic bottle or can, put it in a recycle bin,” Oestreich said.

Also she said to think of the students that are helping to pick up the recycling every day so they don’t have to sort through things that aren’t recycling.

KHCB would like to thank many people for helping to make this possible.

These individuals/groups either donated their time, supplies, equipment or advice.

Oestreich said the people listed below played some part in this project in some way, shape or form:

– Barb Snyder for her passion to see recycling happen at the fair

– North Central Ohio Solid Waste District for the grant that made this recycling project a reality at the Hardin County Fair

– Hunter and Thomas Phillips, Lyndi Taylor, Ty Sherman, Preston Oates, and anyone who were missed, for helping put the decals on the bins and place them around the fair.

– The FFA organizations from Ada, Ridgemont, Kenton, and Hardin Northern and the Junior Fair Board for helping to pick up recycling each morning of the fair and clean trash out of it.

– SV&E for picking up the recycling at the conclusion of the fair and for putting a roll off container for the recycling to be put in, as it was collected each day by the volunteers.

–  Doug Phillips for helping to collect recycling the Monday after the fair, clean the bins out and put them in storage.

– All the people who came to the fair and put litter where it belongs and recycling in the recycling bins.

“Thank you to everyone who played a part, no matter how big or small, in making this happen,” Oestreich said.

“As one of the SV&E drivers said, ‘We’ve been wondering and asking why Hardin County hasn’t started recycling like the Allen County and Union County fairs. It’s so nice to see this become a reality and we’re happy to help!’”