Get your household hazardous waste ready for this event

CENTREVILLE – It didn’t take long a year ago to answer questions about whether a weekday collection of household hazardous waste would result in fewer contributions.

“We certainly found out people don’t mind doing this on a weekday,” said Pat Kulikowski, event organizer and a member of the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee.

The collection on a Thursday in early May last year drew a quantity of items equal to what it had been collecting on Saturdays in previous spring events.

Kulikowski explained the company that oversees collection of household hazardous waste is unable to staff a Saturday event.

As a result, the 2024 spring collection will take place 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the county fairgrounds. Kulikowski said fair officials confirmed Sunday it is OK to proceed with the event despite a weekend fire that destroyed a merchant building.

More: Saturday blaze destroys fairground building

As always, the collection will allow residents to dispose of household hazardous waste such as pool chemicals, old gas, pesticides, oil-based paints and pharmaceutical needles.

Electronics accepted include personal and laptop computers, telephones, televisions, game systems, printers, DVD and VCR players, scanners, and cables and wires. Up to two TVs per family can be dropped off at no charge. A fee of $10 will be applied for every subsequent TV.

Thanks to a grant from Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, up to 10 tires per person can be dropped of at no charge. Passenger tires beyond that amount are $2 each, semi tires $5 each and tractor tires $25 apiece.

Collection of latex paint has returned and is $3 per can, regardless of how much or how little paint is in each can.

CMS Green will be on hand to accept cardboard, newspaper, magazines, phone books and junk mail.

Kulikowski said she’s sorry to announce there will not be an opportunity for people to drop off old or on-working appliances.

The spring collection last year netted 1,300 tires, about 40,000 pounds of electronics overall and 500 cans of latex paint.

Kulikowski said law-enforcement will be present prior to the start of the event to ensure motorists don’t park along East Main Street. She said people have a tendency to show up early, even though gates to the fairground won’t open until the start of the event.

Questions about Thursday’s event can be directed to 467-5533.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Get your household hazardous waste ready for this event