Recycle most challenging household items: It can be done
When it comes time to toss items that can’t go into the household recycling container – household chemicals, paint, and fluorescent tubes, for example – there are alternatives.
But, what are the options?
“We take one or two phone calls every day about recycling,” said Jason Theakston, director of the Washington County Planning Commission. “Usually, we get calls pertaining to electronics and household chemicals like paints, pesticides and fluids – those are the big ones. “I recently got a call about an electric lift chair – it was the first time I got that one – and that was a difficult one because it’s a hybrid.”
Harder-to-recycle items can require extra steps or running to different locations, but Washington County has tried to make that easier by creating the Washington County Facilities Directory, a comprehensive list of drop-off locations throughout the county, as well as out-of-county options, for car parts, electronics, fluorescent tubes, metals, yard waste, concrete, and other miscellaneous objects.
One of the county’s most successful partnerships is with JVS Environmental, which five years ago opened a collection center at 1 American Way in Ellsworth that accepts all electronics – such as televisions, computers, monitors and printers – and appliances containing freon on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 2 to 6 p.m.
“It has been a big help, and it’s open rain or shine,” said Theakston. “It has helped us manage the volume of recyclable items.”
Pennsylvania requires larger municipalities who meet a population threshold to recycle. In Washington County, 11 of its 66 communities are mandated to offer curbside recycling to residents for specific recyclables, and two – East Washington and McDonald – voluntarily offer it.
The county also hosts an annual household chemical and tire collection event at Wild Things Park in North Franklin Township (this year’s event was held in June), organized by Pennsylvania Resources Council, an environmental nonprofit.
Theakston said Washington County’s recycling facilities directory’s alternative recycling options offers a valuable resource because residents want to recycle and discard hard-to-recycle items but often just don’t know where.
“If you have any hard-to-recycle items that you’re not sure what to do with, call the office (724-228-6811) or Pennsylvania Resources Council (412-488-7490), and we’ll try to help,” said Theakston.
In Fayette County, only a handful of its 42 municipalities have curbside pickup, so the county has done its best to fill in those gaps by making recycling easy and convenient for residents.
The county opened the Fayette County Recycling Convenience Center, located at 105 Romeo Lane, Uniontown, on Earth Day 2021. It provides residents with a drive-through, self-serve facility where they can drop off traditional and hard-to-recycle items year-round.
“The response has been overwhelming. Our citizens have really embraced the recycling center and even inspired us to add new programming based on their requests, so they’ve really made it their own,” said Sheila Shea, Fayette County Recycling Coordinator/Stormwater Manager. “We have thousands of recyclers come through our doors each year, and our tonnages have increased steadily as a result.
“It’s important to have the recycling center as a central location because we accept both regular recycling and hard-to-recycle materials all year long. By offering steady options for people to recycle, we’ve cut down on the amount of material going into our landfills and we’ve had less major cleanups because there’s less illegal dumping along our roads and waterways.”
In 2023, 7,609 recyclers used the recycling center, and Keep Fayette County Green community bins – single-stream recycling bins located strategically throughout the county – collected 798.29 tons of recyclable materials, which kept more than 1.5 million pounds of recyclables out of landfills.
“Our community bins, which we introduced in 2020, are growing, as well,” she said.
Shea is as fired up as ever about finding ways to reduce, reuse or recycle the half-empty paint cans, plastic bags, aluminum cans, and other items that flow through the Fayette County waste stream.
The county hosts a series of hard-to-recycle events in municipalities throughout the year, and has partnered with the Lions Club to recycle eyeglasses and hearing aids.
The center also accepts shipping and food-grade foam products. Foam polystyrene materials – which have to be clean and empty – include cups, takeout containers, meat trays, egg cartons, foam coolers, and packaging from furniture, TVs and other electronics.
“My goal has always been to make recycling accessible enough for everyone that it just becomes a way of life in Fayette County. We want all our families recycling,” she said.
Creating and growing a sustainable recycling program also requires educating children and adults.
Shea said the department works with school districts and speaks with civic groups and organizations to provide information on recycling.
“We’ve seen the impact these last few years have made already because those students have been inspired to start their own recycling initiatives,” Shea said.
Consider Luke Hamaker. The third-grader at Franklin Elementary School in the Uniontown School District has partnered with Keep Fayette County Green and Franklin Township to collect more than 8,000 pounds of plastic bags and other film plastics as part of the NexTrex Recycling Challenge.
So far, as a result of Luke’s efforts, NexTrex has donated six park benches made from recycled materials to schools, businesses and organizations in the county. Recently, a recycled bench was installed at the Smock Volunteer Fire Department.
Shea credits Luke, who has been named Fayette County Recycling Ambassador, for increasing interest in the county’s recycling opportunities.
“He’s an amazing young boy. More people are taking on our recycling challenges than ever before, and a lot of that has recently been because of Luke,” said Shea. “His legacy will continue throughout generations of recyclers, and we’re very grateful to have him – and all of our citizens – supporting our program.”
His mom, Melissa Hamaker, said Luke is passionate about recycling, and has collected scrap metal and other recyclable materials for about three years.
“He loves Fayette Waste, and garbage day is his favorite day of the week,” Hamaker said. “Recycling, scrapping and Fayette Waste give him purpose. He’s passionate about it. I’m so proud of him.”
Fayette County recycling will host several events in the fall, including a household hazardous waste collection with Pennsylvania Resources Council on Sept. 21 (registration is required). To register, visit prc.org.
Shea is optimistic that recycling will continue to grow in the county.
“It takes partners. We focused on networking and partnering, and it started with municipalities, and the (Fayette County) commissioners support recycling 100%, which is huge,” said Shea. “We’re helping to save the environment. You just have to make it easy and provide opportunities, and have the resources to help people participate.”
Greene County also will host a recycling collection event on Sept. 18 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Greene County Fairgrounds. An unlimited number of televisions will be accepted this year. For additional information, call 724-852-5300. For more information on recycling, visit www.co.greene.pa.us/resources/1346 or earth911.com.
The Fayette County Recycling Center is open Monday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday from noon to 6 p.m.; and the fourth Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.