another building cost Orange County $4,300. Hiring an outside electrician for this single job, completed by one of our maintenance technicians, could have cost the County much more than the entire expense incurred enrolling our maintenance staff in the Electrical Level 1 class. However, the advantages didn ’ t end there. Seeking to make the arrangement more viable for Germanna and more advantageous to the greater community, we did not limit classes to our employees. Local trade - focused businesses also took advantage of the more convenient class location and enrolled their employees, who participated alongside Orange County Public Works staff. As this program is new and still underway, it is serving as a useful beta test for considering other professional development opportunities. Continuing to develop this partnership with Germanna Community College presents the opportunity to facilitate more advanced journeyman studies for our maintenance employees. Going one step further, many of the lessons learned from this effort could facilitate the creation of education programs for other departments specific to their needs. Many of their areas of study would be readily applicable to the services we offer, such as Computer & Information Technology, Public Service & Safety, Healthcare, Business & Hospitality, and more.
Our second 2024 Achievement Award recognized Litter Control ’ s Plastic Film Recycling Program. This innovative approach to managing one of the most pervasive but difficult - to - recycle items also made use of a partnership to achieve more than we could on our own. Solid waste disposal in Orange County strives to provide convenient and effective options for our residents to dispose of their refuse in a way that is safe, affordable, and environmentally responsible. Collection and recycling sites are dispersed throughout
the county to ensure that very few residents experience more than a 15 - minute drive to get rid of their household trash. Furthermore, despite rising industry challenges, Orange County still offers single - stream recycling options for most recyclables. Single - stream is a great benefit for recycling as a whole. Generally speaking, more items are recycled this way than would be with separate collections. However, the equipment and processing required to make single - stream recycling practical are ill - suited to handling plastic films. In short, they “ gum up the works. ” An alternate disposal avenue was needed, and the NexTrex Recycling Challenge provided the perfect opportunity. Through this program, Orange County gathers plastic films from residents and receives a high - quality composite bench for use at a community facility for every 1,000 pounds (roughly 90,000 bags) collected.
Beginning in the spring of 2023, Litter Control placed cardboard collection bins at six convenient locations in Orange County. Partnerships with Love Outreach Food Pantry and Sedwick Building Supply further increased film collection. As of this publication, we have taken delivery of one bench (located at the Animal Shelter) and will soon take delivery of a second. We are already ahead of the pace needed to receive a third bench. This program has gone a long way to reducing plastic waste in the landfill while giving it new life. Residents disposing of plastic bags are encouraged to participate in this program rather than throwing such items in the trash.
Page 14 | September 2024
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