Rumpke’s first recycling location was established in 1941 in Southwestern Ohio. The operation was primitive compared to today’s recycling technologies, and consisted mostly of manual sorting. In 1989, Rumpke purchased a recycling operation in Pickaway County, Ohio. This purchase—which marked the start of Rumpke’s official recycling division—was followed by a second recycling operation in Cincinnati in 1991.
Dual-stream facilities opened in Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, Louisville and Ashland, Ky., and Indianapolis, Ind., throughout the 1990s. The facilities met a critical demand for communities seeking to divert material from landfills. As the recycling industry grew, Rumpke remained at the forefront and continued investing in the latest technologies. Today, Rumpke provides the regional framework necessary to serve residential, commercial and industrial customers.
Rumpke owns and operates three of the most advanced recycling facilities in the nation, including a facility in Columbus, Ohio, a glass processing site in Dayton, Ohio and a facility in Cincinnati. These advanced facilities make Rumpke a regional recycling leader. Via positive negotiations, Rumpke has secured long-term and strategic marketing agreements with regional, domestic manufacturers that purchase recyclables for use as raw materials. More than 80% of the materials Rumpke processes are sent to manufacturers within Rumpke’s service footprint, creating jobs and fueling the circular economy.
Rumpke offers complete environmental solutions including much more than earth-friendly disposal and recycling services. Rumpke services also include composting (where available), construction recycling and e-waste and universal waste hauling options for recycling.
Rumpke is even making a difference at its landfills. At Rumpke Sanitary Landfill, near Cincinnati, the company recovers landfill gas and converts it into clean natural gas, enough to serve more than 30,000 homes on a daily basis. The operation is the largest landfill gas to direct pipeline energy system in the world, and it’s been in operation since 1986.
Rumpke also boasts landfill gas to energy systems at the following locations with two additional plants under construction:
- Boyd County, Ky. Sanitary Landfill
- Brown County, Ohio Landfill
- Noble Road Landfill near Mansfield, Ohio
- Montgomery County, Ky. Landfill
- Pendleton County, Ky. Landfill
- Medora, Ind. Landfill
In all, these landfill gas recovery systems provide enough energy for 70,000 homes and businesses.
Rumpke also works to make sustainability common practice throughout company operations by educating employees and implementing practices to conserve water, construction materials and fuel.
Today, Rumpke recycles about two million tires annually, beneficially reusing them as drainage layers or separation barriers for landfills. In 2011, the firm opened compressed natural gas filling stations and began a pilot program to run garbage trucks on green energy. Rumpke’s compressed natural gas fleet has grown to about 700 vehicles. Compressed natural gas fueling stations can be found at Rumpke’s Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, locations as well as at its site in Lou