The Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District would like to thank those who were a vendor, volunteer or attendee at our Earth Day 2017 Celebration at the Columbus/Bartholomew County Recycling Center.
The event was successful in collecting 250 tires, 10 propane tanks, 70 refrigerant containing appliances and about 2,000 pounds of electronics. This event would not have been possible without the support of local government, sponsors and donors.
Every day can be Earth Day when you reduce your trash, reuse everything that can be reused and recycle everything that is recyclable. Along with normal recyclable items, we provide the opportunity for residents to dispose of household hazardous waste from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday through Friday at the Columbus/Bartholomew County Recycling Center, 720 S. Mapleton St.
Residential materials accepted (5-gallon limit per visit):
Used motor oil
Oil/ hydraulic filters (no gasoline filters)
Cooking oil
Antifreeze
Gasoline
Diesel fuel
Kerosene
Oil-based paint
Mineral spirits/paint thinners
Stains/ varnishes and polyurethane finishes
Liquid weed/ brush killer
Liquid lawn fertilizer
We can also accept the following items from residents (limit five per visit):
Intact compact fluorescent light bulbs
Intact fluorescent tube lighting
Smoke detectors/alarms
Batteries that are accepted include the following types (limit five per visit):
Rechargeable
Power tools
Automotive
Outdated or unusable electronics should be recycled and not disposed of in the trash. Electronics contain valuable, reusable materials such as gold, steel, copper and glass. These items also contain harmful materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and chemical flame retardants. Recycling and reusing electronics protects the environment, conserves valuable raw materials and preserves landfill space.
Corded electronics and small appliances that are intact, can be recycled at the Columbus/ Bartholomew County Recycling Center from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Electronics primarily composed of glass, wood or plastic or CFC containing appliances are not accepted at the Columbus/Bartholomew County Recycling Center.
We are often asked how to properly dispose of latex or water-based paint. While we can appreciate residents’ concerns over proper disposal, we do not accept latex paint at our facilities for recycling. Latex paint isn’t harmful when disposed of properly in a modern landfill, such as the facility we have right here in Bartholomew County. It has a water base, and when dried presents a very low hazard.
If you have latex paint in your home you wish to dispose of, remove the lid, dry any paint that remains in the can and then simply place the can with the dried paint on top of your normal trash and set it out for pick-up. (Note: If you live within Columbus, your toter lid should still fully close). If you have a lot of paint that will take time to dry, you can mix in things like kitty litter, saw dust or mulch to help aid the drying process.
All of this information and more can be accessed by visiting our website, bcswmd.com. Don’t forget to check out our Facebook page by searching for Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District.
Kari Spurgeon is the education coordinator at the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District. She can be reached at 812-376-2614 or [email protected].
