Saturday event will help you clear out your garage

Jef Rietsma
·2 min read

CENTREVILLE – The twice-a-year household hazardous waste collection and recycling of electronics, tires and paper – first introduced in St. Joseph County in 2006 – is scheduled to return this weekend.

Overseen by St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee, the fall collection is 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the county fairgrounds in Centreville.

St. Joseph County Jail trustees earn credit for time served by helping out at the annual collection of household hazardous waste and electronics recycling event. The twice-a-year collection returns Saturday to the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds.
St. Joseph County Jail trustees earn credit for time served by helping out at the annual collection of household hazardous waste and electronics recycling event. The twice-a-year collection returns Saturday to the St. Joseph County Fairgrounds.

Items accepted include household and car batteries, fluorescent and LED bulbs, old gas, pesticides, pool chemicals, pharmaceutical needles and smoke alarms.

Electronics accepted for recycling include cables, wires, DVD and VCR players, game systems, laptop computers, microwaves, monitors, telephones and up to two televisions.

The collection will also allow for the drop off up to 10 tires at no cost, as well as carboard, junk mail, magazines, newspapers and phone books.

There will be no appliance or scrap-metal vendors attending.

Sponsored by the St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee, event organizers said the collection provides a good opportunity for residents to clean out their garage, barn and shed.

After a strong response to the collection in April, event organizers said they are looking forward to another solid turnout this weekend.

A few details to note: St. Joseph County residents will be allowed to drop off two televisions or monitors at no cost. There is a fee of $10 per item for additional TVs/monitors. There is no charge or limit on other electronics.

A state grant through EGLE allows residents to drop off up to 10 passenger vehicle tires at no cost. Beyond the 10-tire limit, there is a charge of $2 per tire, $5 per semi tire and $25 per tractor tire. The fees help offset expenses for the service, which is provided by Cobalt Holdings of Sturgis.

Tires must be free of mud, concrete and tree vines.

Items not accepted include explosives, grills, Styrofoam, plastics, motor oil and radioactive matter.

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

Donations are welcomed and used to help offset the expense of staging the collection.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Hazardous waste and electronics recycling event St. Joseph County