Annual Putnam County Tox-Away Day

The 2012 Tox-Away Day, sponsored by West Central Solid Waste District (WCSWD), saw another successful year! Putnam County residents took advantage of the opportunity to safely and inexpensively dispose of household hazardous waste, appliances, tires, electronics and unwanted medicines.

WCSWD staff would like to thank all those who participated in this year’s event.  We had a continuous line of vehicles and were able to serve 500 participants during the five hour event.  A big thank you is in order to Dale Jessop and the Putnam County 4-H Fair Board for permitting us to use the fairgrounds for this important community service.  Thank you also to Tonya Sanders at WREB radio and the Greencastle Civic League for helping to get the word out and making the event run smoothly.

WCSWD was able to remove more than 29,200 lbs. of toxic and hazardous materials from the environment.  Also collected were 552 tires, 85 appliances, 398 electronics, and 91 lbs. of unwanted medicines.

Residents often ask why we don’t provide more than one Tox-Away Day in Putnam County each year.  WCSWD is a three-county district (also serving Montgomery and Parke County). More than $63,000 is spent each year for the three one-day events. One event is sponsored in each county annually, and residents are welcome to participate in any or all three events.  It is our hope that residents will take advantage of this service by cleaning out their home and/or garage and bringing their household hazardous items to us.  These materials, if disposed of improperly, can be dangerous to human and animal health, and the environment.

Tox-Away Days are scheduled in the same month and location each year so residents will get familiar with when the event will be held in their county.  The Putnam County Tox-Away Day is always in May, Montgomery County follows in June (N. Mont High School), and Parke County (4-H Fairgrounds, Rockville) is held the end of September or in early October.  All events are from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are held rain or shine.

When residents arrive to the Tox-Away Day location, they are routed to appropriate collection stations – from appliances, tires, electronics, unwanted medications, to hazardous wastes (such as chemicals, cleaners, antifreeze, acids, fuels, etc.).  WCSWD contracts events through NuGenesis, an environmental services company, which specializes in household hazardous waste collection.  Skilled and experienced personnel are on hand to unload all materials, so residents do not have to leave the comfort and safety of their vehicle.

Longer lines can be expected at the beginning of the event.  Each event starts promptly at 8 a.m., so there is no need to arrive early to get in line – this can actually create traffic backups on the roads and can become a safety issue.

To find dates for upcoming events and a complete list of items collected, please visit our website at www.westcentralswd.com and click on “Tox-Away Events.”  Residents can also call the WCSWD office with specific questions at (765) 653-2150 or (800) 211-2750.  This program is designed for residents only – businesses are prohibited.    

     

Hope to see you at our future events.  Bring your dog along for a special treat! 

Jane Collisi, Director

West Central Solid Waste District