Rumpke, again: Stop recycling things that shouldn't be recycled

Sarah Brookbank | Cincinnati Enquirer

Greater Cincinnati, it's time we had a talk.

Stop throwing your batteries, propane tanks and aerosol cans in the recycling bin.

There have been two fires in two days at Rumpke’s Cincinnati Recycling Facility and the company has once again sent out a plea.

"Please watch what you are putting in your Rumpke recycling and trash containers," the company said.

“Unfortunately, it is the same story,” Area Safety Manager Bridgett Biggs said. “Items like propane tanks, batteries and full aerosol cans aren’t accepted in our recycling program; however, we continue to see these types of materials daily at our recycling facilities, often resulting in fires in our trucks as they are transported to the recycling center or at the facility itself.”

Come on y'all.

Recycling is a good thing. Fires are a bad thing. Stop trashing and recycling your flammable stuff.

More: What you can and can't recycle, according to the experts at Rumpke

More: Rumpke: Please stop recycling and trashing batteries. They cause fires.

“We want people to recycle,” Corporate Communications Manager Molly Yeager said. “We do have to set some parameters to ensure the safety of our employees and the plant as well as make sure the material received can be recycled."

Yeager encourages everyone to check what can and can't be recycled before putting the bins at the curb.

Rumpke accepts the following items for recycling:

Plastic bottles and jugs (please empty, flatten and reattach the lid)

Cartons

Glass bottles and jars (any color)

Aluminum and steel cans

Empty aerosol cans (with lids and tips removed)

Paperboard (cereal boxes, 12-pack containers, etc.)

Cardboard

A variety of paper products, including: Office paper Newspaper Magazines Junk mail and envelopes (with or without windows) Telephone books Paper grocery bags



Real talk Greater Cincinnati. Remember what happened one of the last times we didn't listen?

The facility burned down.

In April 2012, Rumpke’s Cincinnati recycling center was destroyed by a fire, according to a news release. While the exact cause remains unknown, authorities believe the fire was caused by something flammable in a load of recyclables.

This is why we can't have nice things.