Wyoming, Ohio Diverts Waste Through Community-Wide “Upcycle Day”

Project Summary

The Environmental Stewardship Commission of Wyoming, Ohio organized a community-wide “Upcycle Day,” where residents donated clothing, electronics, furniture, and other large-ticket household items that were no longer in use to local nonprofit organizations. Items that could not be donated were collected by recycling companies on hand. The event was inspired by a long-held Wyoming tradition known as “Junk Day,” spearheaded by commissioner Patrick Walker. Not only was the event cost-free to the city government and residents, but it also saved the city money by reducing the city’s trash collection expenditures for Junk Day. Upcycle Day diverted 48.8 tons of waste from landfills over its first two years, 2020 and 2021, greatly aiding the commission’s waste reduction efforts.  

Every year, the citizens of Wyoming, Ohio participate in a community-wide tradition known as Junk Day. On this day, households place unused or unwanted clothing, furniture, electronics, and large-ticket items on their curbs for pick up by Rumpke Trash Service, the city’s main service provider of residential and commercial waste management. On a single Junk Day morning, approximately 100 tons of waste leave Wyoming for the landfill according to former Public Works Director Terry Huxel. Additionally, the event costs the city $17,000 in trash collection fees for Rumpke’s service in a single day. Despite this, Junk Day has been a day of enjoyment for many who live in the small community, as neighbors socialize and stroll their streets in search of hidden gems to take home. 

Concerned about the waste produced from this yearly event, a local resident reached out to the city’s Environmental Stewardship Commission with an idea for a new tradition. In collaboration with the resident, Wyoming’s City Council, and local nonprofit and recycling organizations, the Commission brought together a group of volunteers to host a new holiday, “Upcycle Day." The event’s goal was to give community members the opportunity to donate their unwanted or unused items before they hit the curb for Junk Day. The first Upcycle Day was hosted on September 11th, 2020 and is now in its third year. Since it first began, this new spin on an old tradition has diverted approximately 48.8 tons of waste from landfills, providing community members a cost-free opportunity to give unneeded items a new life.   

For Upcycle Day to be approved, the Environmental Stewardship Commission devised a plan for the event and presented it to the City Manager and City Council. The plan included metrics on how much the city was spending on its yearly Junk Day, as well as savings projections and waste reduction estimates that would result by hosting their planned event.  

After its approval, the commission sought partnerships with local nonprofit organizations and recycling companies to provide staffing and trucks during the event for pickup of residents’ clothing and household items. The participants saw the collaboration as a “mutual win,” both reducing city waste and promoting donations to local organizations. These organizations included John King, Goodwill, Reuse Center, TerraCycle, Eco Development, Applied Arts Center of Cincinnati, and more. The commission also used sign-up genius (an online form) to streamline recruitment of approximately 20 volunteers within the community to assist in operating the event. The program organizers observed a high level of resident engagement and willingness to participate in the event.  

Leading up to Upcycle Day, the Commission conducted outreach efforts to educate residents on recycling opportunities and programs, as well as advertising the event on the city blog. They also sent emails and newsletters and spoke with high-school environmental groups and involved parents.  

The first Upcycle Day lasted from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, during which residents could drive to a central location and drop off items for donation. It was located in a public parking lot, minimizing administrative costs. However, as the event grew in popularity in the following years, the commission now reserves a city park with a large parking lot for the event. During the first event, city police monitored traffic as residents brought in their goods to be donated. To ensure equal access for those unable to haul large items to the event site, residents were able to contact event volunteers in advance for direct item pickup from their homes.  

Funding

This event was cost-free to the City of Wyoming and the Environmental Stewardship Commission. Participating nonprofit organizations and recycling companies, such as Goodwill and Reuse Center, provided paid staff and trucks to aid in donation collection and transportation. Additionally, the event has the potential to reduce city costs. The traditional Junk Day entails extra trash collection fees for the city, up to $17,000 for the one-day event. By reducing the amount of trash collected on Junk Day, the city was able to reinvest funds to create a small budget for the Environmental Stewardship Commission, which previously functioned without funding.

Timeline

The idea for a community-wide upcycle event was pitched to the Environmental Stewardship Commission in 2018. After experiencing some delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, the first Upcycle Day event was hosted on September 11th, 2020. The following year’s event occurred in April 2021, and the Commission just completed its most successful Upcycle Day yet in April 2022.  

Developing second-hand and upcycling markets are important assets for low-income families who otherwise cannot afford fully priced clothing, furniture, and other daily household items. Partnering with charitable organizations like Goodwill and facilitating donations amongst residents allows the City of Wyoming to provide community members with access to these affordable options and ensures that all citizens have equal opportunities for an acceptable quality of life. Renters in the area benefit from secondhand furniture and appliances because they are less likely to invest in or be able to afford fully priced household goods. 

Some of the Environmental Stewardship Commission’s main goals are to increase residents’ awareness and use of Wyoming’s recycling amenities and to prioritize waste reduction efforts in the city. Upcycle Day provides a low-cost, low-effort avenue for continual collaboration and communication among local government, residents, and community organizations. It also facilitates resident education on how to upcycle throughout the year, what items they can recycle and where, and emphasizes the importance of waste reduction and diversion to their community’s well-being.  

The first Upcycle Day helped divert an estimated 14.5 tons of clothing, furniture, and household goods from landfills. One year later, this number increased to 15 tons of donated items, all of which are repurposed or used by partner organizations and charities. Public participation and engagement increased in the event’s second year, and in its third year, tonnage surpassed goals. All told, residents together diverted 19 tons in 2022.  

Lastly, commissioners note that reducing the trash load for Rumpke collectors on Junk Day has the potential to save the city money. The costs of previous Junk Days average around $17,000, and a reduction in tons of waste will reduce those fees.  

City Councilors Sarah Stankorb and Nancy Averett reflected that there were not many challenges with the project itself, but rather in changing individual behaviors and alleviating resident concerns. Many Wyoming residents worried that the new upcycling efforts meant the abandonment of the long-held Junk Day tradition. To overcome this, the Environmental Stewardship Commission focused on communication and outreach with residents to help them understand more about waste issues, waste reduction strategies, and the overall goal of Upcycle Day to save these resources and city funds. These waste reduction efforts extend beyond Upcycle Day, as the ESC now runs an advertisement in Wyoming’s monthly magazine that is delivered to every resident provide them with information the city’s waste protocol and procedures for city-wide waste collection and recycling programs.