Kudos to Cincinnati Parks & Rec for their efforts to recycle, reduce, and reuse in city parks. The city started by replacing the department’s 40-year-old heating and air conditioning system to a more energy efficient model. This step resulted in energy conservation and cost savings.

Another thing they did is replace wood mulch with longer-lasting rubber mulch at Gower Park’s playground. A new design will utilize more green space and decreasing the amount of mulch needed in the future.

The city received more than $11,000 in a grant program “to implement or continue innovative waste reduction and recycling programs that significantly reduced the grantees’ waste stream.” Recycle Sharonville’s goal “was to reduce waste while increasing awareness of recycling and its positive effects on the environment.”

The project included:

*  26 recycling containers placed next to trash cans in public areas with multilingual signs next to those receptacles to promote recycling to all residents;

* distribution of a flyer and brochure, educating residents about the program;

* established a collection system to empty recycling containers at dropoff centers at the Community Center. The materials donated were re-used for craft classes, saving money for projects at many adult and senior classes;

Great job! I hope more cities take note and follow Sharonville Parks and Recreation example.

Source: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20100401/NEWS/4010316/1001/NEWS/Reuse++recycle+new+practice+at+Sharonville+parks+and+rec

Related articles

• Go Green this St. Patrick’s Day (rubberecycle.com)
• Curby Teaches Kids about Recycling (rubberecycle.com)

Tags: Mulch, Recycling

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 9:11 am and is filed under Mulch, playground surfacing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.