MARC (Marietta Area Recycling Center) has served Marietta, Washington County and surrounding areas for nearly 50 years. A small, dedicated group of volunteers operate the center open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year through rain, snow, and sunshine processing 200+ tons of recyclablesannually. That is 400,000 pounds of waste diverted from landfills, streams, and our roadsides. Unfortunately, 50 years may mark the end for MARC.

MARC operates on a shoestring budget of $25,000, 30% of which is covered by material resales, and the rest is cobbled together through philanthropic gifts. The funds go towards covering haul costs, site rental and insurance. All operations arepowered entirely by volunteers. Many of us dedicated our working lives to public service, as teachers, doctors, and continued that service at MARC into our 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Recently, MARC has been provided notice from our landlord that they plan an expansion of their business that will utilize the current MARC Site. This leaves MARC and our community at a crossroads. Without new people power and resources to meet the increasing recycling demands, the center will close in May of this year. This 50 year legacy depends on action from dedicated community members. If you would like to contribute by volunteering, providing an alternate site, financial resources, or other help, please contact Sue Price at 740-525-5189 by March 1, 2025.

Maybe it is because I was a teacher, but to me service and conservation of our shared community has always been as elementary as Dr. Seuss’ famous quote “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not”. So the only quest is, do you care, Marietta and Washington County?