Hazardous waste collection nets 25K pounds of electronics

CENTREVILLE – Last week’s collection of household hazardous waste and electronics recycling was labeled “average” by event organizers.

Pat Kulikowski, St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee secretary, said Thursday’s four-hour collection at the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds got off to a strong start then slowed considerably around the halfway point.

Initial figures show 8,000 pounds of household hazardous waste was collected, while about 25,000 pounds of electronics were dropped off. Kulikowski said three-quarters of a semi-trailer was filled with paper and cardboard, while 4,800 pounds of latex paint was brought to the event.

The tire drop-off center continues to be a popular destination. Kulikowski said 1,353 tires were collected, including 12 tractor tires. The tires were gathered by Sturgis-based Cobalt Holdings, which recycles scrap tires.

For the sake of comparison to the spring collection last year – the first time it was held on a weekday – the 2023 event netted more than 8,000 pounds of household hazardous waste, about 40,000 pounds of electronics and 1,300 tires.

Unlike 2023, last week’s collection did not include an appliance drop-off option.

Even though the collection was considered average, Jeff Bodtke, general manager of Berrien County-based Green Earth Electronics Recycling, said he is continually surprised how strong the twice-a-year event remains in St. Joseph County.

“It was almost non-stop for the first hour, hour and a half, then it slowed down,” he said. “But we’ll leave here today with more than 20,000 pounds of electronics, no question.”

Bodtke said St. Joseph County is fortunate to have electronics recycling weekly at Westside Recycling and Disposal near Three Rivers. He said Green Earth on a quarterly basis sends a truck to the site when its collection area is near capacity.

“Between that option and twice a year here at the fair, there is an impressive amount of electronics that are recycled (in St. Joseph County),” he said. “We have started to see a lot fewer stacks of the tube-style TVs, which is nice on our backs. The LCD TVs are starting to become more common at collections like this.”

The next collection is Oct. 2.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Hazardous waste collection nets 25K pounds of electronics