Hampton’s wildly popular Recycle Rama is set for Saturday, with organizers expecting a slew of people to discard electronics, construction materials and glass.
Just two years ago, more than 50,000 pounds of electronic waste was collected, according to JVS Environmental, which has also signed on as a vendor this year.
“I think that this event is so important for the community because it enables people to focus on recycling and reusing, doing what is good for the environment and what is good for those in need,” Councilperson Bethany Blackburn said.
The event will be 9 a.m. to noon in Community Park, at the swimming pool parking lot.
Director of Community Services Kevin Flannery said there will be four areas of collection that include paper shredding, building materials, electronics and glass recycling.
Because of covid-19 concerns, some items will not be taken this year. They include clothes, shoes, books and sports uniforms.
Assistant Township Manager Susan Bernet said that in the past, the event was hosted by a group of volunteers and that documentation from each vendor wasn’t provided and a count of cars not kept.
However, Manager Chris Lochner recalls participants coming from across the region, from Cranberry to Moon.
“We would have three hours of traffic jams,” he said. “It was extraordinarily well attended.”
In 2019, the nonprofit Brother’s Brother collected a slew of medical equipment that included 34 crutches, 12 walkers and three wheelchairs, among other items.
It was all donated to people in need, whether here in Pittsburgh or across the globe, according to Brother’s Brother officials.
That same year, 51 bicycles were collected by Thrivent Community - Three Rivers to be refurbished and given away.
In recent years, the township has negotiated hazardous waste to be collected by its hauler, Waste Management, so that has had some effect on participation, Lochner said.
Still, he expects a good turnout.
Anyone interested in attending should note that there is a limit of one TV per car and that construction materials will only be collected if they are in usable condition.
Paper shredding will be limited to two 13-gallon bags/boxes per car. Magazines, books and plastics are not accepted.
Lochner said the community center and the park will remain open during the recycling event but that traffic might be heavier than usual.
Some areas of the park, such as the Alcoa Pavilion, access to the upper orchard and portions of the parking lots will be blocked off.