RICHMOND, Ind. — Wayne County residents have a chance May 14 to get rid of some toxic materials.
Wayne Union Recycling will conduct a Tox-A-Way Day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the New Paris Pike Landfill, 5242 New Paris Pike. Residents of Union County also may take advantage of the opportunity.
Permissible items include paint, thinners, solvents, oils, aerosols, herbicides, pesticides, single-use batteries and most liquid household wastes. Containers must be five gallons or smaller. Medical waste, such as tanks, needles and bio-waste; tires; or items with Freon will not be accepted.
Wayne Union Recycling has existed for three decades and initially included Randolph County. It is part of the Wayne and Union Solid Waste Management District and promotes recycling and proper disposal of materials in the participating counties. Funding comes from $1-per-ton tipping fees at the landfill.
The WUR board has prioritized becoming more active the past two years and has established special projects, such as Tox-A-Way Day. It conducted a paper-shredding day April 23. Last year, it also sponsored tire e-waste collection days and sponsored billboards to promote recycling and stop littering.
In addition to its special events, WUR provides annual services throughout the two counties, including efforts to partner with other groups holding special collections, according to LuAnne Holeva, the group's conservation education coordinator.
It pays for the recycling costs at each county's transfer stations. Wayne County's transfer station is located at 20 Paul R. Foulke Parkway in Hagerstown and is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. The Union County drop-off is at 1583 Kitchell Road in Liberty and is open 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
In addition, WUR pays for recycling at public schools outside the Richmond Sanitary District and at Union County school buildings. It provides recycled materials for third- and fourth-graders during Wayne County Conservation Days and for third-graders during Union County Ag Day as well as providing education and recycled content materials at local fairs and events. WUR also provides recycled glass awards for the 4-H projects about recycling in Wayne and Union counties.
A “Where can things go for reuse, recycle, or disposal?” guide book for Wayne and Union counties is kept up to date and information is provided through the group's website, www.waste-not.org, and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/WURSWMD. WUR advertises and promotes recycling and proper disposal through its billboards, information provided to various media and its annual reports.
Holeva receives resident questions about the disposal of materials and works to find a solution when possible. She also writes grants to help fund special collections or recycling projects.
Data about the amount of recycling materials collected and special collections is compiled and reported into ReTrac for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
Find more information at waste-not.org or contact Holeva at luanne.holeva@in.nacdnet.net or 765-373-9540.
