New recycling facility could be on its way to Toledo

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - An overgrown, undeveloped lot under the overpass on South Avenue could soon be Toledo’s first recycling facility.

City Council is set to vote on Tuesday on whether to sell the land to Lucas County, initiating the facility’s development.

Currently, the closest recycling facility that can process the City of Toledo’s recyclables is located approximately 90 miles away in Oberlin, Ohio. Division of Solid Waste Manager Ryan Murphy says having a recycling plant in Toledo could save the city $8,000 to $10,000 in transportation costs every month.

“By taking out that big middle man expense, we can save our community money; we can save the city and the taxpayers and the county money; and we can probably get a better quality return on our investments,” said Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken.

Gerken says the facility would include an education center to promote community recycling. Additionally, the facility could be expanded to include composting, medical waste, electronics and other niche forms of recycling.

“We’re not just looking at the recyclables of today. We’re looking at the recyclables of tomorrow, getting a big enough site and a partner that will talk with us about future development,” Gerken said.

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