History
Our colorful beginnings…
In 1980 the Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency (LFCAA) began a pilot recycling program as an economic development project. Our first efforts to collect, process and sell recyclable materials began in a garage in the residential section of Lancaster. In April of 1982, our recycling operations moved into a commercial building, located at 242 West Mulberry Street in Lancaster. As a small operation, the Recycling Center recycled a variety of products, including aluminum cans, plastics #1 & #2, newspaper, cardboard, glass bottles, and glass jars.
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We have been presented with a variety of opportunities for growth, including the addition of an education program in 1982 and commercial collection starting in 1999 with 25 businesses. In 2001, we began a residential recycling drop-off program, placing 10 recycling trailers throughout Fairfield County. With this growth, we recognized the need to research the possibility of building a new Recycling Center. A Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) efficiency study in 2001 concluded that the operation had outgrown our Mulberry Street facility and had exceeded its capacity. In order to continue to grow and expand operations, a new facility was needed
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With many supporters and partners and four years of work, we were successful in building a new recycling facility to provide current and future recycling services for Fairfield County. The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony took place on May 4, 2006. From our humble beginning in a garage in 1980, to the 1,300 tons of materials recycled in 2005, the Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Recycling Center has proven to be an exceptionally successful economic development project.
As residency in Fairfield County increases, so does the need for waste disposal. Using the multi-material trailer system was no longer an efficient way to collect material at our residential sites within Fairfield County. Through CFLP grant funding in 2019, we purchased a 25-yard packer truck and ninety-seven 8-yard recycling receptacles to be used as replacements for the trailers. This provided a user-friendly option, addition to larger storage capacity and more efficient logistics for pickup to better serve the public.
In 2019, Coshocton, Fairfield, Licking and Perry (CFLP) Solid Waste District received a unique opportunity that provided additional funding (up to $3 million) that was made available to the four counties. Lancaster-Fairfield Community Action Agency applied for $880,000 to replace worn equipment and to increase MRF’s efficiency in processing. This project will allow us to better serve residents within the county and district. Site improvements to our facility are expected to be finished by Spring of 2022.
Over the past years, the Recycling Center has grown considerably in the scope of collection methods, as well as the volume and variety of materials collected, processed, and marketed. Over 7 million pounds of material is processed yearly at our facility. We are grateful for the support that residents and partners have shown our facility within the years.