Earth Day has traditionally attracted a lot of your neighbors to the Columbus/Bartholomew County Recycling Center.
Globally speaking, the 51st annual observance April 22 will include a variety of activities in more than 190 countries that range from promoting a healthy environment to warnings against climate change.
In Columbus, the observance is best known for allowing local residents engaged in spring cleaning to get rid of hard-to-dispose items.
Saving money has always been an incentive for the public to participate in the amnesty program, which will be held this year on Saturday, April 24th. Between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., the recycling center at 720 S. Mapleton St. will accept the following items without charge:
Up to two refrigerant-containing appliances
Two gas grill propane tanks
Four personal vehicle tires without rims. Tractor tires are not accepted.
If you have papers that need disposal, document shredding will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. However, all services on this day are being offered to residents, rather than businesses. The sponsor of the document shredding, Toyota Material Handling, will also provide free river birch seedlings.
From 8 a.m. until noon, those in attendance can also get one pick-up sized scoop of mulch or compost loaded for free.
Residents can also register to win a rain barrel kit by going to the Bartholomew County Solid Waste Management District’s Facebook page, or by sending an email to [email protected].
While televisions and computer monitors will be accepted, the Solid Waste Management District does charge $20 for disposal.
District Director Heather Siesel says her organization is passing on the same costs the district has from a vendor who actually disposes of the electronic items.
It’s expensive because the cathode ray tubes in older-model televisions and monitors are heavy and difficult to recycle, Siesel said. In addition, she said most glass in older models contains lead, so it can’t be recycled like other glass.
In order to maintain social distancing, those driving into the center are asked to stay in their vehicle, and have items either in their car trunk or pickup truck bed. Staff and volunteers will handle the unloading.
There are household hazardous waste items that are not accepted at any time, according to the SWMD website. They include unlabeled paints, thinners, weed and brush killer, aluminum paint, aluminum paint sealers, automotive paint, concrete sealer, asphalt sealer, roofing tar, cements, adhesives, glues, floor hardeners, aerosol cans, household cleaners, prescription medicine and any form of medical waste.
In contrast, there are other household hazard wastes that are accepted with limitations at specific times that include batteries, cooking oil, antifreeze, smoke alarms and fire extinguishers. However, these items will also not being accepted April 24 because their disposal is time-consuming and the lines are usually long, district education coordinator Jessica Norcross said.
For a complete list of what is and is not accepted, go to bcswmd.com and click on ‘recycling.
Other observances
Earth Day activities also take place in a number of schools. First graders at CSA Fodrea were given a demonstration Tuesday on how to naturally improve soil for their own garden outside the school at 2775 Illinois Ave.
In addition, elementary and secondary school students have been encouraged to enter an Earth Day Poster and Art Contest, with the entry deadline set for April 16. More details are available online at bcswmd.com.
On April 22, the Bartholomew County Parks and Recreation Department will join forces with Purdue Extension Bartholomew County to kick off a new project that will eventually result in pollinator plantings in all county parks this year.
Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. April 22, the public is invited to help make preparations for an upcoming flower bed planting at the Clifford Alumni Park. Unlike the town park, this county park is located at the site of the old Clifford Elementary School off County Road 500N, just east of County Road 350E.
Volunteers are needed that day to prune back trees, move decorative rock and other tasks. If you’d like to assist, organizers asked that you bring their own garden tools, drinking water and a mask for cases when social distancing is not possible.
Native pollinator plants are important for maintaining genetic diversity in plants, as well as ensuring adequate fruit and seed production for crops, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees, Purdue Extension educator Cora Carter said.
The actual installation of more than 400 plants at the county park near Clifford won’t take place until May 8. Organizers want to make the plantings a special Mother’s Day event for moms and their children from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Once again, participants are asked to bring their own garden tools, drinking water, and a mask if it should be needed.
Multiple opportunities for the public to plant native plants in all other county parks will take place from May 3 thru May 7. For more information, contact Bartholomew County Parks Director Rich Day via email at [email protected]. Carter can also be reached through email at [email protected].
A Zoom presentation on the benefits of pollinators, as well as gardening tips, will be presented by the Sierra Club Winding Waters Group at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5. The Zoom link will be provided in the program information section of the Bartholomew County Public Library’s website.
After being involved in removing invasive plants and installing native pollinator plant gardens throughout the community, the Sierra Club will be working on similar projects this year outside the Fresh Start Recovery Center at 703 Washington St., as well as in the meadow at Blackwell Park.
Winding Waters group members will also have a booth at the Columbus Farmer’s Market on May 15 and May 22, where they will sell native pollinator plants grown in an Indiana nursery for $3 each.
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What: Amnesty for Hard to Dispose Items
Where: Columbus/Bartholomew Recycling Center, 720 S. Mapleton St.
When: Saturday, April 24, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Why: To promote recycling as part of the 51st annual Earth Day observance.
Services: Disposal of certain hard to dispose items, mulch and compose loading, document shredding, tree giveaway.
Information: 812-376-2614
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