Howland to introduce single-stream recycling

By Jordan Cohen

Participating residents will not be required to separate materials.

HOWLAND — The township has become the first community in Trumbull, Mahoning and Geauga counties to launch single-stream curbside recycling.

That means recycled materials will not have to be separated before being placed on the curb.

Township trustees unveiled the program Wednesday when they voted to approve Allied Waste Services, Youngstown, as Howland’s “preferred hauler.”

Residents who choose Allied as their trash hauler and participate in the recycling program will have their garbage rates reduced, according to company representatives.

“We’re not forcing people to sign up with Allied,” said Trustees Chairman Rick Clark. “We respect that people like to have choices, but we think they’ll want [to sign up] when they see what is available to them.”

The company will provide 65-gallon recycling receptacles for each home that signs up for a $20 deposit that it says will be refunded. The company will accept various types of plastic, including bottles and grocery bags, office paper and envelopes, phone books, aluminum, metal containers and glass. Receptacles will be picked up once every two weeks.

“Nobody has to separate paper and plastic in our receptacles, which will be picked up and emptied by automated trucks,” said Brent Bowker, Allied general manager. “No one else in the three counties has any recycling program like this.”

In addition, Allied is offering three separate curbside trash collection fees to those who sign up for the single-stream recycling program, which Bowker said are below rates charged by other haulers.

“We can do this because residents will have less trash to throw out due to our recycling program,” Bowker said.

Trustees said township residents will receive a flier along with the community newsletter in the mail explaining the program and a postage paid card to participate.

Clark said if 5,000 residents sign up by the second year, Allied will pay for the annual leaf collection at no cost to the township.

“That’s $50,000 we can save and put to other needs,” Clark said.

In another item during the meeting, trustees approved the low bid of $346,965 from Diorio Paving, Girard, for repaving 3.2 miles of road. Clark indicated there may be a second round of paving “if there are additional funds by the end of summer.”