Answers |
Q. |
How can I learn more about Mercury?
|
A. |
Mercurcy Awareness
|
Q. |
What if
I would like information about District services in
ESPANOL? |
A. |
Contact the District for
educational & service pamphlets written in Spanish.
|
Q. |
What if I have too much recycling and would like another bin? |
A. |
Any lightweight container can be used provided it has an open top and it is visible to the driver.
If you need another bin you can come to our office Monday through Friday during the hours of 8:00 - 4:00 and pickup one
at no additional charge. The service contractor is only required to deliver one bin to each home in the program. In the event
you MOVE, please LEAVE the recycling bin and schedule at your old address to be used by the new resident.
|
Q. |
I would
like a magnetic recycling schedule. How do I get
one? |
A. |
You can mail, email or phone in a request for
a current magnetic schedule to the district office.
|
Q. |
Why
should I buy recycled items? |
A. |
When you buy recycled products, markets are
created and a use is assured for recyclables being collected in your
community and in thousand of others. Manufacturers will respond by
continuing to use recycled materials in their products, instead of
raw virgin materials.
|
Q. |
How
can I determine if a plastic is accepted for recycling in my local
program? |
A. |
All plastic bottles and containers coded #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, AND #7
Check for the triangular code, on the bottom or back, which depicts a number within the chasing arrows.
|
Q. |
What
is the difference between Pre Consumer and Post Consumer
recyclables? |
A. |
The pre consumer and post consumer content
are measured by a percentage of the total recycled materials used to
manufacture a new product. Post consumer indicates the material has
been in the hands of the consumer already. The highest percentage of
post consumer material is the most desired kind of recycled product
because it supports the local efforts of community recycling
programs like St. Joseph County's. Pre consumer recyclable materials
are those collected from industry. These materials are generated by
companies and collected for recycling within their business
operations to avoid land filling or incinerating their waste items.
They save money by diverting these waste streams from the trash to a
second use.
|
Q. |
Do
milk jug or pop bottle caps need to be
removed? |
A. |
Although removing caps, rings and funnels
are not necessary for plastic container recycling, any additional
preparation you can do will help the processing of these items.
Individual milk containers are being manufactured with a plastic
sleeve on the outside. Cutting this sleeve and removing it from the
bottles will aid in the processing of these materials for market.
|
Q. |
Can I
place cans within cans in my recycling
container? |
A. |
Yes you may place cans inside one another
to save on space in your recycling bin. Do not place an aluminum can
within a bi-metal food can however as they are different materials
and will be processed differently.
|
Q. |
Can I
recycle all paper items from my
kitchen? |
A. |
No, the easiest way to remember which paper
items are not accepted is to consider whether they have a wax
coating (to allow the product box to withstand temperature changes)
or a foil overlay (such as dishwasher detergent box). Those
packaging items with either a wax coating or foil overlay are not
accepted paper items. Dog and cat food bags are not accepted due to
the plastic lining these packaging bags contain. Non-perishable food
packaging boxes, fiberboard, is an ideal material for recycling and
can be easily flattened and collected in a paper grocery sack or a
cardboard box.
|
Q. |
Do I
have to remove staples, paper clips, envelope windows or clasps from
my mixed papers-office, school or
other? |
A. |
No, removal of these items is not necessary
as the process of remaking paper will screen and remove these items
from the finished product.
|
Q. |
Whom
do I call if my recyclables were not picked up on my scheduled
day? |
A. |
A resident may all the customer service
number to contact the contractor direct at 299.0500. The district
will also notify the contractor if you phone them regarding the
missed stop. The contractor has twenty-four hours to respond to a
missed pick up notice.
|
Q. |
Why
isn't Styrofoam recyclable in my residential curbside
program? |
A. |
The availability of markets determines if
communities will collect certain recyclable materials. Presently the
markets for styrofoam are poor and unavailable in our area. Please
contact the suppliers and manufacturers and ask them to minimize
their use and production of this number 6-coded plastic. Packaging
peanuts can be reused! Contact your local area boxing and shipping
companies to see if they will accept your clean and undamaged
styrofoam peanuts.
|
Q. |
Where can I take my recyclable materials if I will be
gone or I missed my designated
time/day? |
A. |
A drop off option is available for all
material collected at the curbside. Located at 1519 S. Franklin St.,
South Bend, IN 46613. South Bend Waste Paper is open between the
hours of 8:00 and 4:30, Monday thru Friday. Please call 234-7181 for
more information.
|
Q. |
What
is considered a Hazardous Waste? |
A. |
A Hazardous waste is any solid, liquid or
gaseous material that you no longer have any use for.
|
Q. |
How
can I reduce the amount of Household Hazardous Waste (also referred
to as HHW) that I produce? |
A. |
Read the label of all products that you
purchase and make sure it will produce the outcome you are looking
for.
Do not purchase more than you need
Read and
follow all directions on how to properly use the material and how to
dispose of the container once you are finished with it.
Pay
attention to warnings such as "do not incinerate" or "do not mix
with bleach"
Use safe substitutes whenever possible (i.e.
natural cleaners)
|
Q. |
How do
I classify a material as a Household Hazardous
Waste? |
A. |
* It is Ignitable
* It is a
corrosive
* It is Reactive
|
Q. |
What
services are provided by the Household Hazardous Waste
Program? |
A. |
The St. Joe County Solid Waste Management
District offers an ongoing collection for all St. Joe county and
surrounding county residents for disposal of HHW material. Material that is accepted
at the facility
|
Q. |
Who
can use this service? |
A. |
The facility is open to any RESIDENT of St.
Joseph County or any neighboring counties as long as a household
generated the material.
|
Q. |
Who
cannot use this service? |
A. |
Any material that is business generated may
not use this facility to dispose of the material. BUSINESSES MAY NOT USE THE FACILITY.
|
Q. |
Does
the HHW facility take items such as Washing Machines, Water Heaters,
Refrigerators, and Dryers ECT? |
A. |
No we do not. You can contact you trash
hauler to get information regarding pick-up of these items.
|
Q. |
Is
cooking oil accepted at the facility? |
A. |
We will accept cooking oil but this is not
a Hazardous Waste and can be disposed of in your trash.
|
Q. |
What
do I do with batteries? |
A. |
We accept household batteries at the
facility. Alkaline batteries that have been manufactured in the
United States starting in the late 1990's and early 2000 no longer
contain Mercury and are safe to landfill. Any other batteries that
contain Mercury, zinc, nickel cadmium, lithium and lead are
hazardous to landfill and are accepted at the facility.
|
Q. |
What
about automobile batteries? |
A. |
You can take these to any automobile
company in St. Joe County that specializes in Car batteries. For
information on companies in the area please contact the district.
|
Q. |
What
do I do with Propane Tanks? |
A. |
Please contact the district for further information.
|
| Q. |
- My home is for sale –
Do I have to pay the recycling bill even though I am no longer living there?
- We are temporarily away from our home for part of the year and no recycling is
being generated. Am I still required to pay even while we are away from our home?
-
A relative has recently died and their home is in estate, or the owner is presently
in a managed care arrangement and the home is unoccupied.
Are the recycling charges still required to be paid?
|
| A. |
In May 2002, the Solid Waste Management District Board approved an annual maximum 3 month* credit for:
- homes unoccupied for a three months duration because they are listed for sale
- homes unoccupied due to the death of the owner and the home is in an estate status
- homes unoccupied for a three month minimum duration because of a second home
- homes unoccupied due to a job transfer or military deployment
- homes unoccupied for a three months duration because the owner is in managed care
This credit will not be granted until the home has been unoccupied for 3 months. You will need to apply
for this credit by filling out a Special Consideration form. You are required to submit proof. This credit
will not be granted until the home has been unoccupied for 3 months. This credit adjustment is only available
if the home is unoccupied and remains so for a three month period. (*6 month credit applies for assisted
living and estate status.)
|
| Q. |
I recently sold my home. Am I responsible for th Recycling bill received in my name??
|
| A. |
The bill must be paid by the due date shown on the statement either in January or July.
Billing requirements are for the full 6 month advance billing amount. For reimbursement of
billing charges, take the bill with you to closing so the buyer can reimburse the unused or prorated
portion of the mandatory fee. You will need to contact our office so we can mark your account inactive
once you have sold and provide the new owner’s names and the closing date, as we are not linked to the
County property tax records.
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