On Wednesday, November 15th, Chief Logan FFA and the AP Environmental Science class went down to Athens-Hocking Recycling Center for National Recycling Day. The FFA classes manage the high school recycling program. While the AP Environmental Science class curriculum has a large focus on recycling. During the trip, the students that attended toured the center and got to see how everything worked and how the material was sorted. The recycling plant has a very high recovery rate of 99%, meaning that they are able to recycle pretty much everything that is given to them. During the tour, everyone saw how much the recyclables could be pressed down with each bale weighing around 1500 pounds. We also were able to observe and learn about the center's composting process.
On the way home we toured the Rumpke Landfill In Nelsonville, Ohio to see where all the non-recyclable trash goes. While we were there the manager was telling us about how they have to get sites ready with lining to protect the environment. As we went through the tour of the landfill we got to see all the other sites that were being filled with trash, and some sites that were now complete with grass and methane vents and leach water collection pipes. Both programs were excited to tour each facility and are grateful to both Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers, Inc. and Rumpke for their hospitality and willingness to show us how waste management works.
