Green Oakwood posed the same six sustainability focused questions to our City Council candidates. We are posting the Questions and Answers weekly, verbatim from our candidates, so you may get to know their knowledge, experience and positions on topics that may be important to you, your family, and our community.
Question #2: What role should the city play in reducing waste and improving recycling?
Answer from Candidate Sarena Kelley
The city must be proactive and innovative in reducing waste. This includes:
- Installing an industrial-scale composting facility or partnering with nearby facilities, to divert food and yard waste from landfills.
- Improving public access to clear recycling information, ensuring all residents know what is and isn’t recyclable and what happens to that material after pickup.
- Launching a bulk-waste reuse program, perhaps a “reuse exchange” for old house parts (like doors, windows, mantels) given our city’s historic homes—helping keep valuable materials out of the landfill through local salvage and reclamation companies.
- Integrating waste reduction into schools and public events, modeling the kind of behavior we hope to see city-wide.
Answer from Candidate Leigh Turben
The City plays a very active role in reducing waste and improving recycling, and I would want that to continue. More specifically by:
- Supporting and promoting Oakwood’s robust recycling program—Oakwood recycles more per pound/per person than any other city or township in Montgomery County, and it should strive for increasing capacity in the future;
- Maximizing our existing programs with third parties such as Oakwood Rotary, Green Oakwood and Montgomery County by increasing communication and distribution. These third party organizations and entities provide valuable assistance in reducing hazardous waste material by safely disposing of household materials such as oils, pesticides, paints and batteries, in addition to Christmas tree lights, unused or surplus prescription drugs and Styrofoam. Providing these services allow citizens the opportunity to participate in recycling efforts in a meaningful way;
- Implementing a food scrap recycling program in cooperation with the Montgomery County pilot program to divert organic waste from the landfills and produce nutrient dense compost that enriches the soil for future gardening.
Answer from Candidate Sam Dorf
The city already does a great job at refuse reduction and implementing comprehensive recycling programs. I’d like to see the city expand these sustainable practices by offering a curbside food waste and composting program. The average family of four produces roughly 600 lbs of food waste annually. Diverting that waste to a sustainable composting program will not only be good for the environment, but also has the potential to save the city money. The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission’s new climate action plan challenges the community to embrace “Circular Economy” and “Zero-Waste” policies by 2050. I believe Oakwood can be a leader in these initiates.