Ohio Statewide Rule
Ohio Recycling Requirements: County Solid Waste Districts (ORC 3734.53)
Key Facts
- Statute
- ORC 3734.53(A)(13)(c)
- Enforcing agency
- Ohio EPA waste director
- Who is bound
- Districts, not households
- County coverage
- Every county in a district
- Resident mandate
- None statewide
Summary
Ohio has no statute forcing residents to recycle, but Revised Code 3734.53 requires every county's solid waste management district to run recycling and waste-reduction programs meeting the state plan's objectives, overseen by the Ohio EPA director of environmental protection.
The solid waste management plan of any county or joint solid waste management district shall be prepared in a format prescribed by the director of environmental protection and shall provide for compliance with the objectives of the state solid waste management plan and rules adopted under section 3734.50 of the Revised Code... (A)(13)(c) A schedule for implementation of solid waste recycling, reuse, and reduction programs needed to meet the waste reduction, recycling, reuse, and minimization objectives of the state solid waste management plan and rules adopted by the director under section 3734.50 of the Revised Code.
Full Breakdown
Under ORC 3734.52, every Ohio county must belong to a county or joint solid waste management district covering all of its incorporated and unincorporated territory. ORC 3734.53(A)(13)(c) then requires each district's plan to include a schedule for implementing recycling, reuse, and reduction programs that meet the recycling objectives of the State Solid Waste Management Plan and the rules the director of environmental protection adopts under ORC 3734.50. The Ohio EPA's Division of Materials and Waste Management reviews, approves, and enforces these district plans. The obligation falls on districts and counties, not individual households. Ohio does not compel residents to separate recyclables.
Violations & Penalties
A district that fails to submit or implement an approvable plan faces Ohio EPA rejection, mandatory revision, and director-ordered corrective action under Chapter 3734; the director may amend a noncompliant plan directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ohio law require residents to recycle?
Who enforces Ohio's recycling requirements?
Must every Ohio county provide recycling?
Sources
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