The Ross companies recycled 2,869 tons of metal in 2020. Believe it or not, it’s a lot of work to recycle that much metal.

Most people are aware that Ross safely incinerates thousands of pounds of hazardous wastes every year so that it doesn’t damage the environment.  Much of this waste is delivered to the facility in steel drums or containers and fed directly into the incinerator, container and all.  What people may not realize is that once the waste is burned, a residual substance of ash and scrap metal is left behind. Associates do not merely discard that material. First, it’s parsed for recyclable metals.

Ross associates begin the process by carefully feeding the residual ash and steel into a rotary trommel, which physically separates the metal from the ash by use of magnets — and lots of shaking and tumbling. A steel shredder further separates scrap steel to allow for a wider range of recycling options. It’s quite a process!

Eventually all steel is shipped offsite for reuse as a raw material in the steel-making and foundry industries. The ash, which is now free of scrap metal, is transported offsite for disposal in a hazardous waste landfill. Since 90 to 95 percent of the waste volume is destroyed, only 5 to 10 percent of the waste (ash) ultimately goes to a landfill. That’s a win when considering the crisis in landfill space we currently face.

It is estimated that Ross recycled another 2,500 tons of scrap metal in 2019.

Ross Incineration Services, Inc. (Ross Incineration) is a commercial hazardous waste treatment and storage facility that treats hazardous waste by incineration for many pharmaceutical companies, chemical manufacturers, automobile manufacturers, and intermediary waste managers. The facility is permitted under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Part B. Ross Incineration’s goal has been to operate an exemplary safety and health program. In 2000, Ross Incineration began what would develop into a trusted relationship with the Ohio OSHA On-Site Consultation Program.

Read the rest of the story at….https://www.osha.gov/successstories/ross-incineration

Look at what our associates are doing now!

Above: Ross Environmental Services, Inc. associate Hava Villaverde meets with Chase Farris, Executive Director of Save Our Children Lorain County and Kevin from the “Best Class of 2021” to receive the funds raised from Strides for Leadership 2021.

Leadership Lorain County is a 501 c3 nonprofit in Lorain County Ohio. LLC cultivates a diverse network of innovative leaders who envision what the county and region can be, empower themselves and others to deliver positive change, and expand their awareness of community issues and resources.

Ross Transportation Services, Inc.  (RTS) recently celebrated  a milestone of 14 years with ZERO Lost Time Accidents (LTA), demonstrating that the safety of our associates is truly our #1 priority!  Having no Lost Time Accidents means that RTS drivers kept safety as their top priority as they traveled an average of 2,740 miles per day last year. That’s in spite of rain, snow, sleet and other unexpected hazards. We are so proud of our excellent associates.

RTS General Manager Chris Fada says:
“RTS associates work and perform at a high level.  They drive 80,000-pound trucks in every weather condition imaginable. They put their customers first. They are compliant, productive and, yes, the safest fleet around.  This means 5,110 consecutive days (or 14 years) without a lost-time accident. I am proud to work with a group of people that come to work with safety as their first priority.  They make the decision every day to be safe and they work hard at achieving it.  Congratulations to RTS!”

Through the month of May, 2021 the Ross companies collected items to benefit homeless veterans in Lorain County. Specifically, the items and funds donated went to The Valor Home of Lorain, Ohio, which provides transitional housing for homeless veterans.

Associates collected grocery and gas gift cards, as well as blankets, cleaning supplies, new clothing and winter gear, cooking equipment and much, much more.  Hundreds of much needed items were collected for this drive and the Ross companies plan on participating again next year.

A special nod to our EHS (Environmental Health and Safety) group is required, as they started the drive off with enthusiasm, a large donation and inspired some friendly competition between departments. They presented a challenge for who could gather up the most items.

Thank you to all of the associates who participated in the drive!

More information on The Lorain Valor Home can be found at https://fcsserves.org/program/valor-home-lorain/

Above: Adopt-a-highway volunteers pose for a photo and pick up trash along Giles Rd.

Giles Road in Grafton, Ohio has been the home to the Ross Group of Companies—Ross Incineration, Ross Environmental and Ross Transportation, for more than 70 years. It is incredibly important to all of the companies to keep the road to the site clean and safe. To maintain Giles Road, the Ross companies participate in Lorain County’s Adopt-A-Highway clean up program.

This year, the Ross companies had a great turn out for the Adopt-a-Highway clean up, despite Mother Nature cancelling the activities twice as a result of inclement weather. The snow, sleet, and rain didn’t stop our dedicated Associates. We waited for the temperamental Northeast Ohio weather to cooperate and finally got to work in June of 2021.

Ross associates, most of whom live in Lorain County combed both sides of the two-mile long Giles Road which connects Durkee Road and State Route 82. Associates picked up a variety of trash and debris and a total of 10 trash bags were filled with the discarded litter.

While a handful of associates tended to the garden and seeding, others walked both sides of Giles Road to pick up litter. It was done in coordination with Lorain County’s Adopt-a-Highway program, which Ross associates have participated in for many years.

Above: Owner Jon Cromling gets his hands dirty, and the EHS team plants wildflowers. 

To celebrate Earth Day, associates from the Ross group of companies—Ross Incineration, Ross Environmental and Ross Transportation, set out to rejuvenate the Grafton plant  by creating a perennial flower garden on the grounds of its Giles Road facility.

To do this, a large space was tilled, and associates joined forces to dig holes, plant flowers and spread mulch. Planting this garden was the first step in a multi-year project that will brighten up the grounds and transform an underused portion of the area around the front offices at Ross Incineration.

The goal was to create a butterfly garden using perennial species of flowers including Butterfly Bushes, Black Eyed Susan’s, Lupine, Phlox and many other beautiful choices. Associates have been returning to the space to weed the garden, and enjoy the view.  It was a great opportunity to work together as a team and improve the RIS facilities.

Ross associates also took the warm weather opportunity to plant native wildflower seeds along the two bodies of water within the Ross Incineration Facility. This beautification project was also functional, aiding in preventing erosion and as a waterfowl deterrent.  All of the rain and sunshine in the last month has  allowed the garden and wildflower areas to flourish.

“Our mission is to safely and compliantly treat hazardous waste, protect the environment and serve the community,” said Pat Lawson, VP of Corporate Compliance/Risk Management. “Our effort in June was a natural extension of that mission.”

On October 3^rd, 2,330 gallons of household hazardous waste were collected from Eaton Township residents by the Ross Group of companies. This marks the 32^nd time that the companies have collected household hazardous waste as part of Eaton Township’s annual Dumpster Day collection event.

Participants in the event included Eaton Township, Reed’s Salvage Corp. and the Ross Group of companies which includes Ross Environmental Services, Inc., Ross Incineration Services, Inc. and Ross Transportation Services, Inc.

Household hazardous materials were collected by the Ross companies free of charge to township residents and associates of the Ross Group of companies. Materials available for collection included paint, motor oil, household chemicals, discarded cleaning products and more. These household items are reflective of the types of materials that the Ross companies safely manage for customers on a daily basis.

Over the years, the Ross companies have collected and disposed of 136,125 gallons of household hazardous waste in an environmentally sound manner.

The Ross Group of companies would like to congratulate Alexis Starner, this year’s recipient of the Ross/Cromling Scholarship.

Alexis Starner is the daughter of Ross Incineration Services, Inc. Operations Support Laborer III Ezra Starner.

The Ross/Cromling Scholarship is awarded annually by way of the Ross Foundation, Inc. The scholarship fund was created by associates of the Ross Group of companies, which includes Ross Environmental Services, Inc., Ross Incineration Services, Inc. and Ross Transportation Services, Inc., in honor of ownership to provide college funding to children, step-children and grandchildren of associates of the Ross Group of companies. Funds for these scholarships are generated through associate fundraising and donations.

This year, the scholarship recipient was selected by a Scholarship Selection Committee that includ

This year’s scholarship awardee, Alexis Starner, graduated from Wellington High School with a 4.587 GPA. During her high school education, she served as a member of the Student Council and National Honors Society while also being an active member of her school’s track, cheerleading and soccer teams. She is currently enrolled at Ohio Northern University where she plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Biology.

The Ross Group of companies wishes Alexis Starner best of luck in her future studies. For more information about the Ross Foundation, visit https://rossenvironmental.com/community-relations/ross-foundation/.