Solid waste management districts are government agencies established by Ohio state law. The Ohio EPA  requires each Ohio county to establish or join other counties to form a solid waste management district. Geauga and Trumbull Counties formed the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District in 1993.

The responsibilities and duties of each District fall into two broad categories:

• To prepare and maintain a comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan, and measure progress toward its goals by collecting detailed statistics on recycling and solid waste disposal.
• To promote recycling, reuse, and reduction of solid waste through educational and informational programs, support of recycling businesses and organizations, and the direct operation or support of actual collection events and programs.

Funding for our District is received through a contract fee with landfills and transfer stations that agree to accept solid waste from the counties of Geauga and Trumbull. These fees are then used to provide programs and services to residents that include household hazardous waste collection, scrap tire collection, appliance recycling, and recycling drop-off sites.