Bartholomew County residents will have a chance to get rid of unwanted items and help the environment at the eighth annual Cummins Community-Wide Recycle Day.
The free event, set for 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, encourages local residents to bring items to be recycled to the Cummins Engine Plant at 500 Central Ave.
Drop-offs are welcome in the company parking lot, where volunteers direct motorists to the appropriate area and others provide assistance in unloading items.
Cummins employees volunteer at the event, which is part of Cummins’ Environmental Month each June.
About 215 volunteers helped out during last year’s recycling day, and a similar number is expected this time around, Cummins environmental specialist Kevin Vinson said.
This is Vinson’s second year attending the event and his first year organizing it, working alongside environmental manager Dave Wehrkamp.
“You see a lot of smiles out there and a lot of people having fun,” Vinson said. “It’s a chance to get outside and enjoy the community.”
The recycling event also helps residents responsibly unload items in an environmentally friendly way, he said.
Last summer, more than 70 tons of material was collected and recycled, and volunteers emptied out about 1,000 cars throughout the day.
This year’s goal is to at least match those numbers, Vinson said, and hopefully expand the event in the future.
Cummins Community-Wide Recycle Day is part of the company’s larger mission to serve Columbus and be as environmentally conscious as possible, Vinson said.
“It (Cummins) is a big part of Columbus’ identity,” he said. “And I think Cummins takes a lot of pride in where they come from.”
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To recycle, materials must be clean and sorted as follows.
Post-consumer waste
- Plastic bottles and containers
- Beverage containers
- Antifreeze
- Used batteries
- Binders and folders
- Bricks, pavers and cement blocks
- Cardboard
- Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)
- 4-foot fluorescent bulbs
- Gently used clothing and shoes
- Household paint
- Paper and books
- Scrap metal
- Tires
- Used motor oil
Electronic waste
- Appliances
- Electronics
- Computers and components
- Wires, cables and cords
- Toner and ink
Waste not accepted
- Styrofoam
- Tractor tires
- Plastic bags
- Household light bulbs
- Mercury thermometers
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What: Cummins Community Wide Recycling Day
When: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: Cummins Engine Plant, 500 Central Ave.
How much: Free
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