CINCINNATI RECYCLING AND REUSE HUB

ELECTRONICS AND UNIVERSAL WASTE RECYCLING -- 54.58 tons of electronics, including TVs, computers, fridges, freezers, audio equipment, cords, etc., sent for recycling; 7.95 tons of universal wastes, including lightbulbs, batteries, lighting ballasts, and capacitors sent for recycling. We collect electronics and universal wastes at drop-off events and during our regular business hours at our warehouse. We charge fees for all of these items, as we have to pay fees to the recyclers we ship these items to for processing. We collect these items because they are considered hard-to-recycle and because they have hazardous components (such as lead in CRT TVs, mercury in fluorescent light bulbs, etc.). The more items we can send for recycling, the more we keep those hazardous components out of people's homes and the environment.

BEYOND THE BIN RECYCLING AND REUSE -- 35.8 tons of post-consumer plastic (including film/bags and rigid #2-#7 and "no number" plastics) sent for recycling; 4.5 tons of Styrofoam sent for recycling; 7.9 tons of shoes sent for reuse and recycling; 9.8 tons of office/school supplies given away for reuse; 3.7 tons of garden items given away for reuse; 1.3 tons of tires sent for recycling; 0.75 tons of packing materials (bubble wrap, air pillows, etc.) given away for reuse; 1528 pounds of denim sent for recycling; and over 40 tons of other items sent for recycling or reuse. We collect these "hard-to-recycle" items to help other nonprofits better fulfill their missions, to keep reusable items out of the landfill, and to decrease the amount of resources (energy, water, etc.) needed to create new items. The fewer resources we need to create new items, the less greenhouse gases are created. This will help lessen the worst effects of climate change, which disproportionately affects communities of color in the US and around the world.