2008 Woodie Awards
Apartments begin 'green' program
Candlewood complex organizes new recycling initiative to residents
Justine Timoteo
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Community
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The program, "Candlewood Leaps in Recycling," is funded by a grant from Butler County Department of Environmental Services for $2,500 and an additional grant of $500 from the Institute of Environmental Services (IES) at Miami University intends to bring the Oxford apartment community into the recycling world.
The event marked the beginning of a pilot program aimed at implementing successful recycling in Candlewood Apartments that could then be applied to other apartment complexes elsewhere in Oxford and Butler County. There are now four dumpsters placed around the complex specifically designated for recycling for Candlewood residents.
The apartment complex, located at 615 Ogden Court, is the first apartment complex to offer recycling to its residents, according to a program handed out at the event.
The main six local contributors to this program are Candlewood Apartments, Butler County, the City of Oxford, Miami University, IES and the waste and recycling company Rumpke, Inc. They were all represented at the event.
Miami sophomore and Candlewood resident Kurt Goulder, the first to officially recycle using the new program, said he is happy that recycling is now an option at the complex. Before, Goulder said he had to go out of his way to take out his recyclables.
Rumpke and the city of Oxford have provided contracts for recycling services to Oxford home residents and some commercial entities in years past, and the pair is now finally branching out to apartment complexes.
"We have been waiting years to do something like this," said Sandra Woy-Hazleton, writer of the grant and deputy director of IES.
Woy-Hazleton said that it is now up to the residents' participation to achieve success in the recycling program. She hopes that if residents recycle properly and consistently then more apartment complexes in Oxford will adopt similar recycling programs.
Miami environmental science graduate student Maricruz Rivera, who is also a Candlewood resident, will serve as an on-site coordinator to educate tenants and assess the program.
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