Household waste collection successful

Saturday’s collection of household hazardous waste and recycling of electronics was deemed a success by event organizers.

Staged over a four-hour window at the county fairgrounds in Centreville, the collection featured a steady amount of traffic, according to Pat Kulikowski, secretary of the county’s Solid Waste Committee, which sponsored the event.

A record number of tires – 1,368 in all – were turned in. The total included eight tractor tires and 41 semi tires.

The drop-off for household hazardous waste items saw more traffic than usual. Kulikowski said an estimated 11,000 pounds of material was gathered. That figure topped the 9,960 pounds from a year ago.

Paper collection drew half a semi trailer, which is a normal amount, Kulikowski said, adding that latex paint saw 1,100 cans dropped off, which is also a little low for a spring collection, she added.

Electronics netted around 40,000 pounds, the equivalent of one full semi trailer. More than half of the take was televisions alone.

Besides tires, the other popular drop-off station was appliances. Kulikowski said three semi trailers were filled.

The St. Joseph County Solid Waste Committee will offer another collection in October.