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Herb Rothschild Jr.: Spreading the risk of vaccination ... Ticket Availability ... Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Spreading the risk of vaccination ... Ticket Availability ... SUSTAINABILITY Ashland Recycling Center hits quarter-century Anniversary coincides with Earth Day on April 22 Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 17, 2015 at 5:42 PM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 17, 2015 at 5:42 PM » Social News Ashland Recycling Center turns 25 on Earth Day, April 22 — and there are several reasons why it’s not only endured but has become an out-of-the-way community center where, in addition to recycling the usual glass, cardboard, metal and such, you can adopt a lonely dog, don a stylish new wardrobe from castoffs or just hang out and talk. The Center was the brain child of a handful of community leaders — Cathy Shaw, Michael Donovan, Tim Bewley, Susan Reid and the late Ken Hagen. Ashland had no recycling in the spring of 1990, says Shaw, a four-time mayor. It began with a small group of people gathering in her office, much like a political campaign, canvassing neighborhoods, putting up lawn signs and getting the word spread around. “All we had was Ashland Sanitary Service, for the garbage,” says Shaw. “Garbage was the same as it was in ancient Egypt, a wagon ambling down the street and picking it up. Recycling was a new thing. It put people in touch with their garbage and that was a good thing. It was the smart thing to do.” What was revolutionary about the Recycling Center was that it introduced the idea that the less you had in your garbage can, the more responsible you were in helping the planet — the more you recycled, the less garbage you tossed out in some landfill. “It used to be that they charged most for the first garbage can, less for the second and even less for the third,” says Shaw, “but we reversed that. The second can of garbage cost you more than the first. People starting touching their garbage, handling it, being aware of what’s in it and, above all, recycling everything they could. You want to have people aware of the waste stream.” Today, the giant drop boxes of the Recycling Center welcome 250 vehicles a day to drop their loads of paper, cardboard, plastic, aluminum, steel and glass. That compares with about 100 in the early years, says manager Tim Church. “It’s such a good service,” he says. “You can recycle at the curb, but we take so many more things, like toner cartridges, bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, cell phones — and we do dog adoption. Over 200 dogs have been adopted from here, and 30 cats." While there is now citywide recycling at the curb, the Recycling Center is still popular, Church says. A lot of people don’t like having all the bins in their yard or they like the free drop-off or they live outside the city limits, he adds. “It’s always a pleasant place to stop by — and it’s a good resource for Ashland,” says customer James Baltusnik. “The staff are always helpful and want to make sure everything’s in the right place.” The big draw of the Recycling Center is the so-called “free box,” which is really a small shed crammed with boxes and racks of free clothing, ranging from very lived in to chic and literally new. Cars pull up with great regularity and people hop out to peruse the latest castoffs. “It’s very useful," says a young woman who pulled into the center. "I’ve gotten some good scores here. You should see my girlfriend. She’s got the coolest stuff, all put together from this place.” Church agrees. “We’ve got GoreTex, cashmere, silk, the whole range. Some of it’s brand new. People bought it and decided they didn’t like it. Myself, I haven’t bought a new pair of pants in 15 years. It’s a huge asset to the community.” Chatting with 20-somethings trying on gladrags, Church says, “You meet the nicest people here, too.” The Center, located on Water Street next to the skate park, has gained modest fame in its quarter-century, getting visitors or magazine interviews from France, Finland and Guanajuato, Mexico, Ashland’s sister city. Waste Age Magazine even interviewed Church about the novel combination of recycling and dog adoption. The Recycling Center, adds Shaw, has endured “because it’s a really good idea.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].   By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Apr. 17, 2015 at 5:42 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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