Recycling, Reuse Hub Opens to Find Homes for ‘Untraditional’ Items

Looking for a home for extra art supplies, medical items, eyeglasses, Styrofoam, plastics and more? Cincinnati has a new option for items like these that cannot be recycled in conventional recycling programs.

The Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub hopes to revolutionize how people think about “things” and to provide a place where almost anything can be recycled or reused.

The big picture idea involves collecting items and then finding new homes for these things. “We donate items for reuse to over two dozen local and national nonprofits, helping them better serve their constituents,” said Colleen McSwiggin, managing director and recycler -in-chief of the center.  “By collecting and sending materials for recycling and reuse, we help increase the landfill diversion rate for our region and decrease the effects of climate change. “

McSwiggin said she hopes the hub will eventually expand to satellite collection locations around the Greater Cincinnati area and serve as a blueprint for other regional organizations across the country who will be able to collect "hard to recycle" items."

Habitat for Humanity, ministries, organizations that distribute schools supplies and used book stores all benefit from the products that are donated.

AT THIS HUB ON 911 EVANS STREET, VOLUNTEERS SORT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, GAMES, METAL PIECES, HOME AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS AND MUCH MORE, ALL PRODUCTS WHICH CAN BE RECYCLED FOR FREE. FOR A NOMINAL FEE, THE ORGANIZATION ALSO RECYCLES OTHER ITEMS LIKE ELECTRONICS.

The hub just opened its operations in April and encourages donors to call if they have special products that might take on a second life. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information about the non-profit organization, go to www.cincinnatirecyclingandreusehub.org/ or call 538-3798.