In April of 1983 the first recycling collection drive was held at the Athens County Fairgrounds. This event was relocated to the Athens Mall parking lot and continued there quarterly for ten years.
Curbside recycling was established in the City of Athens in April, 1984. It was the first comprehensive curbside recycling program in the State of Ohio. The first recyclemobile was a used beverage delivery truck donated by Kerr Distributing of Athens.

In 1987, ground was broken for the Athens County Recycling Center on State Route 13, across from the County Home, near Chauncey, Ohio. In the autumn of 1988, the first used tire roundup was held at the Athens County Fairgrounds. In the Spring of 1989 the first "Ultimate Recycling Day" was held. This even collected used tires, metal appliances, other scrap metal, car batteries, textiles, used motor oil and antifreeze, and magazines. This event continues today on a biannual basis held at the Athens County Recycling Center.

In 1990, 2.1 million pounds. of recyclable materials were processed and diverted from local landfills and redirected into the nation's industrial base.

 

In 1994 the Hocking County Recycling Center was established in Logan. This facility is located off State Route 93 North, on Sutton Road.

In May of 1995, curbside recycling services were established for residents in The Plains, Nelsonville, and Logan.

The first "cardboard only" routes were established in the Spring of 1996.

In 1997, 8,300,350 pounds of recyclable materials were processed and again diverted from local landfills. $271,777 were generated from these materials. Recycled materials continue to increase by approximately 1 million pounds per year. So the saying "It pays to recycle" makes sense with these kinds of figures.

Since the inception of the Athens County Recycling effort, more than 100 million pounds of recyclable materials have been diverted from our local landfills conserving resources, saving landfill space, ensuring public health, protecting the environment, and employing local residents.