Back in the Great Depression there was a common saying: “Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
That motto is being played out in several program at the local landfill.
Barton County continues to grow its efforts to keep as much waste as possible out of our regional landfill, and one way to accomplish that is by recycling.
Solid Waste Manager Mark Witt has urged in the past that everything that can be recycled, that can be kept out of the landfill, adds life to the facility and saves greatly on the ultimate cost to county taxpayers.
Opening more landfill space will only get more expensive with time, Witt has observed.
He reported recently that his department, “has been busy with recycling projects over the past two weeks including transporting 4.66 tons of electronics waste to Rice County E-waste Facility.”
Patrons of the landfill can drop off all sorts of electronic equipment, from computers to televisions and more, or the staff tries to sort out any electronic items that they can, to remove it from the waste stream.
“So far, the Landfill has recycled 62.17 tons of electronics waste through the E-waste recycling program,” Witt reported.
And the landfill staff continue to find items they can keep out of the current cell. For instance, Witt reported his staff recently sent more than 100 mattresses to the Hutchinson Correctional Facility for recycling.
The staff also works to keep bicycles and bicycle parts out of the waste stream, for another recycling program.
The bikes go to the Ellsworth Correctional Facility for recycling/refurbishing, Witt explained earlier. “The bicycles are refurbished by inmates and then provided free of charge to individuals and organizations.”
Some of the bicycles are saved out of trash, and others are dropped off by patrons who know about the recycling program, Witt added. Anyone can donate a bike for the effort, no matter the condition, because even bikes that can’t be ridden in their current condition can be used for part.
“The Landfill accepts bicycles free of charge from the public for this program,” Witt noted.
Witt explained earlier that the bikes are hauled to ECF where they go through a rigorous process to make sure they will be safe to use.
Also, the landfill staff continues to reuse what is safe to offer from its household hazardous waste collections.
That program collects herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, any gardening chemical, household cleaners, automotive cleaners or fluids, all paint related products, and all batteries.
Witt noted that when the chemicals are collected, those that are safe to reuse are made available to the public, and that includes paint — both interior and exterior grades — as well as cleaning, automotive and other chemical products.
For more information on the chemicals, other recycled materials, or any of the landfill recycling programs contact the landfill, 793-1898.