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Recycling Matters 1 Summer 2020

C I T Y O F F O R T WA YN E

www.RecycleFortWayne.org

City of Fort Wayne COVID-19 UpdatesGarbage and recycling crews will collect materials from only City of Fort Wayne-issued carts for residential collection. Workers will not pick up additional personal containers, bags, or boxes. Following public health guidelines, these restrictions were instituted by refuse hauling companies across the nation to protect workers and help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

We are also maintaining the limit to City of Fort Wayne-issued carts only because we continue to pick up much more residential garbage than usual. Nationwide, as residents did almost all of their living, eating, working, learning, and playing at home, residential trash volumes increased by about 30% on average. In Fort Wayne, we have collected 500 more tons of trash since April compared to the same period in previous years. During that same period, our drivers had to do their jobs while navigating more parked cars as many people worked from home or were furloughed.

Residents may set out one bulky item per week. Bulky items include furniture and appliances without refrigerants (stoves, washers, dryers, etc.). Remodeling debris, such as carpet, toilets, sinks, tubs, etc., is not considered bulk waste and will not be accepted. Refrigerant-containing appliances, such as refrigerators, are also not accepted. If you have a large number of bulky items, refrigerant appliances, or remodeling debris for disposal, you may call Advanced Disposal (436-8700), Bunn Box (747-1891), or Republic Services (747-4117) to order pickup service for a fee or rent a roll-off container.

Find more information on solid waste management for residents and businesses, in addition to the Biosolids facility’s hours, at www.cityoffortwayne.org/publicworks/solid-waste-management.html. You can also stay informed by following us on Facebook and Twitter @CityofFortWayne.

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Thank you, waste and recycling workers!Our local waste and recycling workers have always put the community’s well-being above their own, but this spring they truly went above and beyond to keep Fort Wayne safe and clean. From drivers to material sorters, maintenance workers, facility staff, customer support representatives, cleaning staff, and more, these men and women went out into the community every day to ensure your essential services were provided on schedule.

The adjustments we made to maintain waste and recycling service during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep everyone safe were made possible by all of our employees who came to work and did their jobs safely. These essential workers spent long hours to keep our city clean, and we want to give them a special thank you for their hard work!

Credit: LongHa2006 | iStock | Getty Images Plus

Residents may set out one piece of furniture or non-refrigerant appliance per week on their regular collection day. Bulky items are picked up a day later by a different truck. You do not need to call to schedule this service and there is no additional charge.

Recycling Matters 2 Summer 2020

Some items are not only wasted when thrown in the trash instead of recycled, but they are also dangerous. When you no longer need items such as motor oil, household chemicals, fluorescent lights, oil-based paint, and more, they’re called “household hazardous waste” (or HHW) and can be dangerous to our health, wildlife, and waterways when not disposed of safely.

Instead of tossing it in the trash, dispose of your HHW at the Allen County Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 2260 Carroll Rd. in Fort Wayne (enter the facility via Fort Recovery Road from Lima Road). The facility is open to Allen County residents every Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We also host special HHW Saturday collections throughout

the year. Visit the HHW Facility on these select Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m to safely dispose of HHW:

• June 20• August 15• September 19• October 10• November 14

For more information on what materials are accepted andany associated fees, visit https://acwastewatcher.org/programs/household-hazardous-waste-disposal or call the HHW Facility at 260-449-4433.

Great American Cleanup – coming this fall!

Drop offhousehold hazardous

waste on select Saturdays

It may have been rescheduled, but Fort Wayne’s Great American Cleanup is still on the calendar and we could use your help! On Saturday, September 19, join us to clean up littered roadsides, parks, trails, and waterways. The Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup, the nation’s largest community improvement program, allows us to show our community pride by keeping our city clean.

It’s easy to get involved! Groups or individuals should sign up and select a community area you’d like to beautify or request the City to assign you one. You can begin your cleanup anytime on September 19; however, most groups start around 8 a.m. The City will provide garbage bags, gloves, and T-shirts. After the work is done, a volunteer celebration with food, drinks, prizes, and live entertainment is planned at Headwaters Park West from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information about this year’s Great American Cleanup, visit www.cityoffortwayne.org/great-american-clean-up-solid-waste.html. To sign up, email greatamericancleanup@ cityoffortwayne.org or call 260-427-1345.

Recycling Matters 3 Summer 2020

Protecting yourself and your neighborsUnfortunately, as more people are using disposable masks, gloves, and disinfecting wipes to protect themselves and their families, those items are being littered in parking lots and parks. This litter has negative impacts on the environment, especially wildlife and waterways. However, it also creates a risk of spreading coronavirus (COVID-19) to other people who come across it or pick it up to properly dispose of it. Using personal protective equipment is a good idea, but please dispose of it properly. Follow these simple guidelines:

• Disposable disinfecting wipes – trash can• Disposable plastic gloves – trash can• Disposable masks and face coverings – trash

can• Tissues and paper towels – trash can• Baby and toilet wipes – trash can (Do NOT

flush these or other wipes!)Keep a small trash bag or an old grocery bag

in your car and dispose of any wipes, gloves, or masks that you used on the trip inside that bag. Tie it shut, and when you get home, drop your bagged disposable protective gear into your trash can. If you used washable gloves and masks, place them in the laundry when you return home.

Please bag all trash (household garbage, food waste, diapers, soiled tissues and wipes, disposable gloves and masks, etc.) before placing it into your garbage cart or bin. The lid should be closed on your curbside trash container and no trash should be outside of the container (on the top of the lid or on the ground). Bagging your trash and keeping the lid closed on the container help reduce litter and protect workers.

If you see littered gloves or masks, do not pick them up with your bare hands. Wear gloves to pick up litter and then discard your disposable gloves in the trash or wash reusable gloves. Always wash your hands after picking up any litter, even if you were wearing gloves.

Is your neighborhood association interesting in keeping your community clean? Neighborhood associations can host a four-hour cleanup on the Saturday of their choice from 8 a.m. to noon. We’ll deliver a 40-yard roll-off container that can be filled at no cost. Have your neighborhood association president call the Fort Wayne solid waste manager at 260-427-2474 to reserve a roll-off container for your area.

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Did you know about neighborhood cleanups?

Recycling Matters 4 Summer 2020

City of Fort Wayne Solid Waste Department200 East Berry St., Suite 210 Fort Wayne, IN 46802-1804

427-8311www.RecycleFortWayne.orgMayor Tom Henry

Recycle right!Recycling correctly is more important now than ever. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic over the past few months, our supply chain is more dependent on your recyclables than before due to a decrease in usable recyclables and increase in demand for

products made with recyclable materials. Manufactures are looking for more recycled materials to make up for any decrease in critical supplies, such as needing flattened cardboard and recycled paper to

create more toilet paper, facial tissue, paper towels, delivery boxes, and other paper products that face huge demand this year. We need to keep our recycling as clean as possible to ensure

our recyclables end up becoming something new.We likely also created more waste by staying home for so long and relying on

single-use products to keep us safe. With increased products in the house, it can be easy to start “wishcycling” and put items we “wish” could be recycled into our carts. But these contaminating items, from yard trimmings to power cords to foamed polystyrene (Styrofoam), can ruin an entire container of recyclables. One major contaminant our City consistently finds in recycling containers is plastic bags.

Please keep ALL plastic bags out of recycle carts. Recyclables should be placed loose and unbagged directly into your cart. Shopping bags, dry-cleaning bags, bread

bags, newspaper bags, plastic packaging material, produce bags, storage bags, and more also cannot be recycled in your recycle cart. When plastic bags and wrap are mixed with

other recyclables, they get tangled in equipment at the sorting facility, causing frequent stops to remove them and sometimes damaging the equipment.

Clean, dry plastic bags and plastic wrap can be gathered together and delivered to plastic bag recycling bins at local stores. For the location nearest you, visit www.plasticfilmrecycling.org.

To learn what is accepted in your City of Fort Wayne recycling cart, visit www.RecycleFortWayne.org or give us a call at (260) 427-8311. Thank you for your help!

Eliminate plastic pollutionWhile plastic bags and packing materials offer convenience, plastic does not break down for at least 400 years and just sits in landfills. Consider a few actions to help us keep plastic contaminants out of our recycling carts and eliminate plastic pollution:

1. Reduce your use of single-use plastics. Use reusable cups, water bottles, and shopping bags whenever possible instead of disposable plastic options, and say no to plastic straws.

2. Keep plastics out of landfills and nature. Recycle plastic bags and plastic wrap at local stores. (Visit www.plasticfilmrecycling.org for a location near you.) Repurpose plastic tubs and containers for leftovers or crafts. Donate plastic items you don’t need anymore, like reusable plates and cups or toys.

3. Change your way of thinking about plastic. Think of that plastic storage bag sitting in a landfill for 400 years before putting it in your cart, and work toward creating a healthier planet for future generations.

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Credit: Rocky89 | iStock | Getty Images Plus