Tox-Away Day 2014 another success

To the Editor:

The 2014 Tox-Away Day held on May 10 and 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 (HHW), 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 served 560 participants during the five-hour event.

A big thank you to Greencastle High School for the use of their parking lot for this important community service. Special thanks to Greencastle Police Chief Tom Sutherlin and Reserve Officer Jess Seipel, WREB radio, Banner Graphic and Hoosier Topics for helping to get the word out and making the event run smoothly.

WCSWD was able to remove 133,806 pounds of toxic and hazardous materials from the environment and collected 845 tires, 128 appliances, 636 electronics and 210 pounds of unwanted medicines.

Residents often ask why we don't provide more than one event in Putnam County each year. WCSWD is a three-county district (also serving Montgomery and Parke counties). Over $64,000 is spent each year for the three one-day events. One event is sponsored in each county and District 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.

When residents arrive, 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.

To find dates for upcoming events and a complete list of items collected, please visit our website at www.westcentral-swd.com and click on "Tox-Away Events."

Residents can also call the WCSWD office with specific questions at 653-2150 or 800-211-2750. This program is designed for residents only -- businesses are prohibited.

This event continues to be necessary and is well supported by this community (thanks to your local officials), so thank you for helping make Putnam County a better place to live. Hope to see you at our future events.

Jane Collisi

Director