MOUNT VERNON — Although the temperatures haven’t felt like fall, the Knox County compost facility has been hard at work as leaves slowly begin to fall.
Free mulch piles have been growing at the site ever since Knox County commissioners tapped Green Machine as the facility’s new contractor in the spring.
Litter & Recycling Coordinator Matt Baugher briefed commissioners on the area’s recent recycling efforts as well as news from the compost facility on Tuesday.
“Green Machine is doing a good job,” Baugher said. “Basically, we had one of those moon craters forming because you have material sitting for a long time, it rains, sinks and materials ground up.
“They [Green Machine] just immediately blocked it off with cones, which is nice, and then we talked about the best way, so we got it filled in out there.”
Commissioner Barry Lester noted he recently drove by the facility with Commissioner Bill Pursel. Both said it looked good with the big mulch piles.
The facility has made significant progress in terms of grinding yard waste since switching to Green Machine, Baugher said.
Free mulch versus store-bought
“All those mounds of mulch, mountains of mulch. What’s the difference between that and what you’re buying at Lowe’s in a bag to put over your landscaping?” Lester asked.
Baugher said the mulch at the compost facility is free and consists of natural, untreated material.
“I recommend it more for people in the country. If anyone has property, and you’re like, ‘I want to mulch the trail from the barn to the woods,’” Baugher said.
Think about how much you would spend on the bagged, treated, dyed mulch. So this stuff is not dyed, it’s from untreated wood; it’s more natural if you will. And it’s free.
Litter & Recycling Coordinator Matt Baugher
Baugher said people who take mulch from the site are actually doing a favor for the workers at the compost facility. Since they receive a large amount of material, they need to move out the excess consistently.
Pursel asked whether it was possible to make some of the mulch more coarse and potentially use it for paths at the Ackerman Nature Preserve.
Baugher said it might be cheaper and less labor-intensive to grind the mulch into a more coarse texture. He will check with Green Machine to see how it works.
Mount Vernon’s composting initiative
After meeting with Community Roots and Mount Vernon Mayor Matthew Starr, Baugher said the city’s composting pick-up program is taking a new step.
Members of Community Roots launched a new program this summer where they pick up some community members’ compost buckets on Saturday mornings.
“So there are some people in the community who have curbside trash, compost and recycling, which is very cutting edge for a small rural community,” Baugher said.
“We’re really excited to roll something like this out. You roll out the program for five people, 10 people, 20 people, you get the statistics and then you ask the big companies for money.”
According to Baugher, the city will hire a videographer to highlight the program.
Baugher noted the compost facility does not take food compost, but Community Roots can take some under EPA regulations.
Working with Community Roots is our way to kind of provide an option for a different style of compost.
Litter & Recycling Coordinator Matt Baugher
Other recycling initiatives
Below is a consolidated list of some of the other recycling-related events and initiatives that Baugher recapped or previewed.
Kokosing and Mohican River Rallies recap:
— Over 100 tires collected combined & six dumpsters filled.
— Around 100 to 120 volunteers present, according to Baugher.
City program to take trash to the transfer station:
— Oct. 18 at Ariel Foundation Park
— Funded via a $1,500 DKMM contamination grant, allowing all Knox Countians to participate, not just Mount Vernon residents.
Agriculture tire event:
— Took place in Morrow County in August and was the first one in seven years.
— Knox County residents accounted for just below 25% of the people present.
— “One of those things you can only really afford to do every seven years. We have a private contractor there that has machines that take all the ag tires because they’re very heavy,” Baugher said.
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