One-Stop Recycling: Strongsville's New Bins Take Phone Books, Cardboard

Strongsville residents who want to recycle their paper products will now find it easier. 

Ward 3 Councilman Jim Carbone said new bins placed throughout the city collect not only paper, but also cardboard, phone books and other items.

"We are going to have more opportunities to participate (in recycling)," he said.

Jennifer Milbrandt, coordinator of natural resources, said the city is working with River Valley Recycling to place new collection bins at various spots around town. 

The new bins accept newspapers, catalogs, office paper, mail, phone books, cardboard, brown bags, and hard- and soft- bound books. 

"And the good thing is, the bins are all over town now," Milbrandt said.

Carbone said he negotiated a deal with River Valley in North Olmsted, where he works as a police officer, then alerted Milbrandt and Service Director Joe Walker to the idea of bringing the company into Strongsville.

"In addition to newspaper and magazines, you're also going to be able to include cardboard and phone books," Carbone said.

And that's good for everyone, he said: Keeping those items off the curb reduces the amount of garbage haulers have to dump in landfills, at a cost of more than $36 per ton.

"If you have cardboard, phone books, shredded paper — please recycle these things," Carbone said.

Locations of all recycling bins:

Fire Station No. 1, 11297 Webster Rd. 

Fire Station No. 2, 15939 Drake Rd. 

Fire Station No. 3, 22000 Albion Rd. 

Fire Station No. 4, 17000 Prospect Rd. 

Surrarrer Park, 14625 Whitney Road (at Webster) 

Jim Nichols Field, 22707 Sprague Rd. 

Strongsville Service Center, 16099 Foltz Parkway 

Communication Center, 13213 Pearl Rd. (gravel lot behind building)