Ohio´s Cuyahoga County recycles 22% of its waste in 2004

June 23 -- Cuyahoga County, Ohio, households recycled more than 22 percent of their waste last year, the county’s solid waste district said.

The residents recycled 196,433 tons of cans, glass, paper, metal and plastic, according to the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District’s ``2004 Residential Recycling Report.’’ The district has prepared an annual recycling report since 2001 to track its communities’ progress in reaching the state’s 25-percent recycling goal.

The 2004 recycling rate for the district’s 59 communities was 20.1 percent, compared with a 2003 recycling rate of 21.7 percent. Woodmere, Ohio, posted the highest rate at 63.3 percent, recycling 371 tons of material while disposing of 215 tons in 2004. Pepper Pike, Ohio, was second with a rate at 63.1 percent, recycling 5,119 tons of material and disposing of 3,000 tons.

Cleveland recovered the highest tonnage of material, 17,131 tons, but disposed of 227,476 tons for a 7-percent recycling rate. Two communities, Highland Hills, Ohio, and North Randall, Ohio, did not respond.