A Household Hazardous Waste Collection event takes place this Saturday, October 17 at the St. Joseph County Fairground in Centreville. The annual event provides county residents an opportunity to safely and responsibly dispose of items that cannot be discarded through residential trash collection or recycling programs. Persons bringing items for disposal should plan to have on hand proof of county residence, and some disposal items will require a fee.
The program is offered by the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners and the County Solid Waste Committee. Organizers say that latex paint will not be accepted because the ePaint Recycling service is temporarily closed. However, a variety of household hazardous wastes, paper, appliances, scrap metal, electronics, and tires will be accepted. For a complete list of what items will and will not be accepted, an event flyer is available on the County Fairground’s website.
Disposal of many items will be free, but some will incur charges. For household wastes, residents can dispose of up to 100 pounds at no charge. Additional items may be disposed for a fee of one dollar per pound. For electronics, two televisions or monitors will be accepted at no cost, while additional televisions or monitors will be $10 each. There is neither a charge nor a limit on other electronics. Residents can also dispose of up to 10 passenger car-sized tires at no cost. Additional passenger car tires will be two dollars apiece. Semi-truck tires are $5.00 each no matter the number, and tractor tires are $25.00 apiece.
The event is a drive-through event, and organizers ask that anyone coming to dispose item wear a mask for the safety of event volunteers. Cars will be permitted to begin lining up for disposal at 8 a.m., and the event will last until noon. Members of the public should use the Main Street / Highway M-86 entrance to the fairground for access to the disposal event. For additional questions, event organizers are reachable at 269-467-5617.
Dave Vago is a writer and columnist for Watershed Voice. A Philadelphia native with roots in Three Rivers, Vago is a planning consultant to history and community development organizations and is the former Executive Director of the Three Rivers DDA/Main Street program.
