Green Team encourages Austintown to recycle

By ELISE FRANCO

Vindicator staff writer

AUSTINTOWN — The Mahoning County Green Team is willing to pay the three cities or townships that collect the most recyclables this winter.

Peg Flynn, Green Team educator, said during Tuesday’s trustees meeting that the township is just the first of many in Mahoning County that will be asked to promote increased recycling.

She said all recyclables collected from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15 will be weighed, and the city or township with the most per capita will receive $1,000. Second place is $700, and third place is $300.

“We’re asking Austintown Township to promote curbside recycling as much as you can,” Flynn said. “It’s free to recycle in Mahoning County, so this program will encourage an increase and also help the environment.”

The trustees said they think the program is a good idea, and Trustee Bo Pritchard said he hopes this will help alleviate overflow at the drop-off site on Raccoon Road.

“Some people have too much stuff,” he said. “Raccoon Road is our busiest site.”

October also kicks off the township’s fourth annual leaf-collection program.

The trustees voted to hire Allison Brothers Inc. of North Jackson to do the collections. The company will be working at $115 per hour, and Township Administrator Michael Dockry said it was the only company to bid on the work and has done the collection in past years.

The program runs every Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Oct. 26 to Nov. 19 and covers all township, county and state roads in Austintown.

Collection days for residents south of New Road and east of state Route 46 are Mondays. Collections for residents south of Mahoning Avenue, north of New Road and east of Route 46 are Tuesdays. Collections for residents north of Mahoning are Wednesdays. Collections for residents south of Mahoning and west of Route 46 are Thursdays.

Brown recyclable collection bags can be purchased in packages of five for $2 per package at the township administration building on Ohltown Road or at the zoning office on Westchester Drive.

efranco@vindy.com