The focus of her work is spreading the word about options to recycle, reduce and reuse.
She is particularly excited about being able to focus on public education, in the schools and before community groups.
Walker is no stranger to the sanitary engineering department and its operations, located at the Miami County Transfer Station along County Road 25A between Troy and Piqua. She worked there for about two years as an account clerk. “Once Brad was promoted, I’d found my career here and decided to expand it (to the coordinator position),” she said.
“I like the education aspect of this position. By having more interaction with the community, I can get into the schools and teach them young to start recycling,” she said. “I am kind of green … I have a lot to learn and have had lot of field trips already.” Those trips have included visits to landfills.
Walker is a 2006 graduate of Troy High School and returned to Troy a couple of years ago with husband, Houston, and their two children, Waylon and Ellie. Houston Walker, who also is from Troy, joined the military and completed six years of active duty and six years in the reserves. The family was overseas in Germany and, on returning to the states, decided to return to Troy.
“Once we came back, we decided to bring our children home and raise them in Miami County,” Emily Walker said.
While in Germany, she saw how recycling was pushed more. “Recycling (pickup) comes more frequently than the regular trash does. Driving on the autobahn, you don’t see trash along the roads like you do here,” she said.
Among the programs coordinated through the solid waste office are a recycled ornaments contest held for the holidays and a recently completed billboard contest open to students who design art on a recycling theme for billboards that will be seen in the county in coming week.
The office also coordinates education programs available to schools across the county. This includes the TRASH, or Taking Responsibility at School and Home, math-based class for elementary students offered by the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Dayton.
The department has a popular mascot, Roscoe the raccoon, who is featured on its website — answering questions people may have about recycling and makes public appearances at events such as the annual Hug the Earth Festival by the county park district.
More information on the county recycling programs is available at miamicountyrecycles.org. If there still are questions, calls can be made to 937-440-5653.
Contact this contributing write at nancykburr@aol.com
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