Ohio County Solid Waste Authority

05/11/2026

Recycling in the Schools (RITS) in action!

Bring in your old shoes next week!! The winning grade level wins extra recess!! 👟🥾👞

05/09/2026

People often ask about, and are surprised by, the variety of metal items we can accept at The Highlands Recycling Center. Pictured below are some of the different types of metal we accept.

Metal is not just one big category. We can accept metal items as long as they do not contain refrigerant and are less than 50% plastic. We sort different types of metal separately so the material can move through the recycling process more efficiently.

That includes:

🥫 Steel/tin food cans — magnets stick to them
🥤 Aluminum drink cans
🐾 Aluminum cat food cans — please keep separate from other metals
🥘 Aluminum foil and disposable aluminum pans
🍳 Scrap metal household items
🔌 Cords and small metal-containing materials
✨🎄 Seasonal items like string lights
🏠 Appliances such as hot water tanks, stoves, washers, and dryers

A few reminders help keep the process safer and cleaner:

➡️ Please empty food cans before recycling.
➡️ Please do not mix recyclables.
➡️ Please keep greasy or heavily contaminated items out of the bins.
➡️ When in doubt, ask. We would rather help you sort it correctly than see recyclable material go to waste.

Small steps. Big changes. ♻️

05/07/2026

Check this out! 👇

In early 2026, the Recycling Coalition chose its winners of the 2025 Coloring and Freedom Contests and presented them with their awards. With over 160 entries from schools, groups, and students across the state, it was a steep competition!

Five students were chosen based on our Youth Contest categories:

🏆 Pre-K-1st Grade: Jaxon Snodgress, Pleasant Hill Elem.
🏆 Grades 2-3: Marlo Minshall, North Elementary
🏆 Grades 4-5: Mira Zinn, North Elementary
🏆 Grades 6-8: Ahxen Hallick, Clay County Middle
🏆 Grades 9-12: Anneliese Schupbach, Brooke High

Congratulations once again to our winners for their excellent work in creative ways to promote reduce, reuse, recycle! ♻️

Want your school, club, group, or child to participate in the next Youth Contests? Visit our website at wvrecycles.org for more information and stay connected for announcements regarding the 2026 Recycling Coalition Youth Contests!

It all comes back to you. 🌱

04/24/2026

Choose your weekend and help us usher Earth Day Month out with purpose. 💚🌎

🛞 4th Saturday (April 25, 2026)
WV Resident Personal Tire Collection
8 AM to 12 PM
The Highlands Recycling Center
More info: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Jf455up9M/

🛶 4th Sunday (April 26, 2026) *****Edited: The Sunday creek cleanup has been canceled out of an abundance of caution. Please see the event page for the full update.******
Watershed Stewardship Creek Cleanup
10 AM to 2 PM
Link Ave, Triadelphia
More info: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CjYN67PZA/

One is a great way to clear old tires off your property. One is a meaningful way to help a flood-impacted community continue healing and protect our watershed.

Both make a difference. Join us for one or both!

04/23/2026

Every year, they show up. 💚

What began 4 years ago as an Earth Day tradition between Central Catholic High School -Wheeling, WV and OCSWA continues in 2026.

Central Catholic students and faculty headed out from their school in East Wheeling, throughout the neighborhood, all the way to Heritage Port for a day of community service, collecting 38 bags of litter, debris, and 1 tire along the way.

There is something meaningful about seeing a tradition like this continue year after year. Students graduate, new students step in, and the work keeps going.

A special shout-out to Mrs. Kristy Kelly Riedel, Religion & Campus Minister, for helping keep that coordination going with each graduating class.

We appreciate the opportunity to support it. 🌎 Happy Earth Day Week!

Small Steps. Big Changes.

04/22/2026

West Liberty University, the numbers are in! 💚

With the help of 100+ West Liberty University students, faculty, and community members, including Central Catholic High School -Wheeling, WV students, and the West Liberty Lions Club Family Support Center teen group, the April 19th cleanup collected 1,400 pounds of debris, 3 tires, and covered nearly 3 miles of Highway 88 through West Liberty.

1,400 pounds of trash removed from our ecosystem and properly disposed of. That is an incredible Earth Day community service project!

Special thanks to Dr. Borchers and Dr. Williams for helping bring this vision to life. We are grateful to everyone who showed up and put in the work. Thank you for letting us be part of this project. 🌎

Small Steps. Big Changes.

04/22/2026

Young people doing meaningful work and making a real difference in South Wheeling. 💚

Wheeling Middle School students took part in an Earth Day week cleanup effort around their school and community. When OCSWA picked up the debris for disposal, we counted 23 very heavy bags of litter.

We are grateful to support projects like these and proud of the students, staff, and Mr. O’Leary for helping care for their community.

Happy Earth Day Week! 🌎

Small Steps. Big Changes.

04/20/2026

What do trash, rain barrels, an elementary school, a college, and laundry all have in common? 🌎💚

Our day.

🏫 We gave 3 presentations at Madison Elementary on waste, recycling, composting, reuse, and how quickly everyday trash adds up. We talked about how the average American generates about 5 pounds of trash a day, and how a household of 4 can landfill a ton of waste in less than 3 months.

The students were a lot of fun, asked great questions, and had some really creative ideas for giving things a longer life before disposal. They also brought up how difficult the tiny recycling numbers on plastic can be to see. We agree, and they even had ideas for how companies could make them easier to spot.

A special shout-out to their principal, teachers, and school staff who continue to support environmental stewardship in their classrooms and across the campus.

🎓 We also spent time at West Liberty University’s Environmental Education Day talking with students and faculty about rain barrels, water quality, water conservation, and nonpoint source pollution. We are grateful to the WLU Sustainability Council and the WLU Student Sustainability Club for organizing the event and including us again this year.

🧤 After that, it was back to the behind-the-scenes work. We washed gloves and vests from yesterday’s 3-mile, 100+ person litter walk and organized supplies for 100+ middle school students participating in tomorrow’s Earth Day litter walk.

Our Earth Day Week celebrations continue full force!

Small steps. Big changes. Earth Day every day. 🌎💚

04/19/2026

The cleanup did not end when the litter walk did. 💚

After wrapping up in West Liberty today, we ran down to the Middle Creek Elementary area to collect debris gathered by our Volunteer Wheeling friends and to restock their supplies.

That added 9 bags, a Christmas tree, a TV, 2 tires, a swimming pool, and more to today’s haul.

This is one of those behind-the-scenes parts of the work that people do not always see. Cleanup takes more than the walk itself. It also takes the follow-up, the hauling, the restocking, and people willing to keep going after the event is over.

We are thankful for everyone who works together to help make it happen.

04/19/2026

Happy Earth Day Week!! We kick this week off with our friends at West Liberty University for a litter walk tackling Highway 88 from GC&P through the town of West Liberty!

A huge shout-out to all who collaborated to make this happen!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/1DVGXTCev4/