October 21, 2009

Fall cleanup Saturday

<h3>Electronics recycling, paper documents shredding part of county-wide event</h3>

<b>By Libby Cluett</b><br><a href="mailto:lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com">lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com</a>

Have some clutter to get rid of? Bring it Saturday to the annual fall clean up, which helps keep Palo Pinto County and Mineral Wells beautiful.

From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. folks can take their bulk items, brush and tree limbs and recycling to many areas throughout the county.

County locations

County residents can dispose of bulk items, brush, metal and tires. No loose trash, all trash must be bagged or in barrels. Separate metal and tires. Fees may apply for tires.

Locations for county residents outside Mineral Wells are at respective precinct barns:

• Precinct 1 barn at the Dempsey Heliport at 1348 Palo Pinto Highway east of Palo Pinto (Commissioner Beth Ray).

• Precinct 2 barn at 11225 State Highway 337, just southeast of the intersection with State Highway 254, in Graford (Commissioner Ed Laney).

• Precinct 3 barn at 101 Elm St. in Mingus (Commissioner Mike Pierce).

• Precinct 4 (Commissioner Jeff Fryer) – 52 Panama Road, southwest of Santo.

Mineral Wells Cleanup

In Mineral Wells, the clean up will take place at 2700 U.S. Highway 281 South next to the Mineral Wells Animal Shelter – just follow the signs.

Mineral Wells residents must show both their water bill and driver’s license to enter. For more information or to volunteer, call (940) 325-2557.

All actual trash must be bagged or put in containers. If a resident can’t make it Saturday, the city offers free curb-side, bulk-item pick up at all trash collection times.

Recycling

The county-wide clean up is not only for for trashing bulk items, but it’s also for recycling things like paper, plastics and electronics, which helps reduce landfill waste.

On Saturday only, citizens can recycle their electronics – something that is not available during the year. All other recycling materials are accepted at the convenience station on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays throughout the year for no fee.

• Electronics recycling – Electronics often contain material that does not break down in landfills. Saturday is an opportunity to dispose of computers, office machines, small appliances and the like with a clean conscience. Unlike other recycling, free electronics recycling only happens during the cleanup.

Have a working cell phone? Give an old, useable phone a new life by donating it to one of the following: Houston Elementary, contact Beth Henderson at (940) 445-7715; Addiction Recovery Ministries (940) 325-7499 – ARM also needs a working computer; and the Mineral Wells Senior Center (940) 325-6470.

• Small Plastics – Accepted plastics include laundry bottles, soap bottles and water and drink bottles up to one gallon in size. Containers must be marked on the bottom with PETE, PET or HDPE and either a “1” or “2.” Rinse before recycling. Cleanup organizers request that citizens separate plastics from other household recycling items.

Do not recycle: containers with other numbers or no numbers; plastic bags; motor oil and anti-freeze containers, even if marked with a “1” or “2.”

• Large Plastics – There will be a separate place at the Mineral Wells location for large plastic items such as yard toys, plastic lawn furniture and large buckets and containers.

• Paper – Citizens may recycle clean, dry newspaper and inserts, magazines, catalogs, junk mail, computer paper, stationery, bills, shredded paper and envelopes with windows. Place paper recycling in a brown paper grocery bag, cardboard box or tie together with string and place in bin on top of other material.

Do not: put paper items in plastic bags; recycle all other paper including soiled paper, pizza boxes, telephone books, non-paper bags such as plastic or TYVEK, overnight delivery envelopes, bubble wrap, books of any kind, greeting cards, gift wrap and product samples.

• Paper Shredding – Fight identity theft – now is the perfect time to get rid of papers that need shredding, like office paper with personal or confidential information. Bulldog Shredders will be on hand to destroy your important documents for free.

• Household metals – This includes household aluminum cans (not foil) and tin food cans up to 1 gallon in size, as well as 3-gallon No. 10 cans, such as coffee containers. Containers must be emptied and rinsed. It’s OK to keep the labels on cans and include can lids inside the cans. If paint is dry in the cans, paint containers will be accepted.

• Large metal recycling

Scrap metal or large metal items are accepted at all locations and at J & S Salvage, located at 3202 Municipal Highway 379. Note: motors, batteries and tires with rims must go to J&S; Salvage.

Tires

Tires without rims are accepted at all cleanup locations. Fees are $1 per tire up to 17 inches and $3 for tires over 17 inches.

Not accepted

Items such as shingles, boats, cars and paint are not accepted at any location.

More stuff

Still have more stuff to purge? Donating useable unwanted items not only helps others, but it also reduces the amount of trash in the waste stream. Scheduling this type of collection is easy, free of charge and often qualifies for a tax deduction so everyone benefits.

The following are a few of the many places to donate clothes and useable household items:

• New Haven Helping Hands in Mineral Wells – (940) 452-1784.

• Dunbar Neighborhood Council – (940) 325-1366.

• Salvation Army – www.salvationarmyusa.org

• Goodwill Industries – www.goodwill.org

• Post items to be given away for free with Freecycle at www.freecycle.org or Craigslist at www.craigslist.org