A free monthly drop-off for hard-to-recycle items returns to the Symmes Safety Center on Sept. 5, but a pricing change at the partnering nonprofit may have narrowed what qualifies.

Symmes Township and the Loveland Sustainability Council run the collection in partnership with the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub, a nonprofit that has diverted more than two million pounds of material from landfills since 2021. The drop-off takes place on the first Saturday of every month from 10 a.m. to noon at 8871 Weekly Lane.

What you can bring

According to the township's program page, residents may only drop off items the Hub accepts for free. The Hub's free "Reusable Items" list includes hangers of all materials, egg cartons, greeting cards, dress shoes in good condition, non-powered tools, wrapped utensils, plastic or ceramic pots and office or school supplies.

The township's event notice also lists eyeglasses and pill bottles as examples of accepted items. However, the Hub's own accepted-items page now categorizes eyewear and pill bottles under "General Items," a tier that requires a $15 monthly fee at the Hub's Cincinnati location.

Whether the Symmes Township drop-off has a separate arrangement covering those items is unclear. Residents with questions can email the Loveland Sustainability Council at [email protected].

How to prepare

All items must be emptied, cleaned and dried before drop-off. Pill bottles, if accepted, should be sanitized.

The Hub introduced its tiered fee structure on Jan. 1. An annual Hub Club membership costs $120, which works out to less than $10 per month for unlimited drop-offs at the Hub's 911 Evans St. location in Cincinnati's Lower Price Hill neighborhood.

Executive Director Chad Planner told WVXU in December 2025 that the change was necessary. "It's really hard work and things are tough," Planner said. "These funds will help us with processing the materials properly, and then free up our donations to help in what we think is our primary mission: outreach and education."