Prairie Township will get a second welcoming sign this summer, similar to the one at the eastern edge of the township.
This one, to be placed at the western edge of the township, is made of recycled materials and being purchased with a grant from the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO).
“We applied for a Buy Recycled grant a year and a half ago,” said Connie Swisher of the Prairie Township zoning office.
To be eligible for a Buy Recycled grant through SWACO, the township had to participate in a recycling program.
Prairie Township has been actively participating in recycling efforts for several years, Swisher said.
The old Kroger store across from Doctors Hospital and The Home Depot store alongside I-270 had offered recycling bins for the residents. When they were removed, the township had bins installed at the fire department on Inah Avenue and one at the township building on Maple Street.
“They are used a lot,” said Swisher, who sees a need for the other recycling center on the western edge of the township.
“It’s more convenient to have one out west so residents won’t have to travel so far,” she said. “It will also encourage them to recycle.”
This new center will be located at the township’s Hubbard Road fire station in western Prairie Township.
The sign the township will be receiving is made from recycled materials and is durable.
“It doesn’t peel, scratch or chip,” Swisher said. “It’s weather resistant, won’t fade and holds up under the hot sun and sub zero temperatures. It also resists graffiti. We can wipe off any graffiti.”
The SWACO grant is for $5,000. The township is adding $3,341 to the project.
The sign will be placed on West Broad Street at Hubbard Road. The wording on the sign recognizes Prairie Township, Lake Darby and Westpoint subdivision, Swisher said. It will also offer directions to the fire station where the recycling center is to be located.
Buy Recycled grants are designed to assist governments, schools and political subdivisions with the purchase of products made of recycled content materials.
Prairie Township was one of several political jurisdictions receiving grants for special projects. SWACO Executive Director Ron Mills applauds the groups receiving the grants.
“This year’s applicants showed us some new ideas to promote recycling in their communities,” he said. “It is clear they are serious about going green and delivering that message to their residents.”
