Marshall County Solid Waste District
1900 Walter Glaub Drive, Plymouth, Indiana, United States

The Marshall County Solid Waste was formed in March of 1991 to reconcile the abundance of materials entering the waste stream. In 2004 the Recycle Depot was added to accommodate household hazardous and problem wastes.In order to comply with and hoping to exceed the State of Indiana’s goals, a twenty year plan was formulated. In accordance with House Enrolled Act 1240, HEA 1240 and Senate Enrolled Act 25, SEA 25, the plan was designed to reduce the amount of solid waste being generated and disposed of in landfills. To accomplish objectives of the plan, the district established programs to educate and promote the importance of the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

The District’s plan eventually met with the approval of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). In addition to the goals of reduction, the plan called for provisions to assure the disposal capacity of the remaining solid wastes generated in the District for the next twenty years.The District is governed by a seven member board composed of local elected officials. The Board holds monthly meetings and has the responsibility of approving all financial matters, hiring staff, creating policy, and adopting ordinances as needed to carry out the District’s programs.The Citizen’s Advisory Committee (CAC) is a group of representatives from the solid waste industry, environmental groups, educators and citizens of Marshall County who are knowledgeable and interested in environmental issues. The CAC meets every other month to assist the District in achieving its goals. If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact the District office.

Mission Statement:

To achieve conservation of natural resources, environmental preservation, encourage recycling efforts, provide opportunities and guidance for waste stream reduction, and increase awareness of proper hazardous waste disposal.

The Three R’s:
The M.C.S.W.D. developed a comprehensive solid waste management plan that will protect the environment and fulfill the statewide waste reduction goals. To accomplish these objectives, the district has identified and designed programs to educate and promote the importance of the 3R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle).

Reduce . . .the amount of trash you produce.

• Avoid purchasing over-packaged products
• Buy durable, long-lasting products
• When purchasing toxic chemicals, buy only the needed amount
• Avoid purchasing disposable products

Why should I recycle? Look beyond the bin

Recycling makes sense, the concept is simple: recycling turns materials that would otherwise become waste into valuable resources. Collecting used bottles, cans, and newspapers and taking them to the curb or to a collection bin is just the first in a chain of events that generates a host of financial, environmental, and social returns. Some of these benefits accrue locally as well as globally. The overwhelming conclusion is that recycling boosts the economy, conserves natural resources, and reduces solid waste.
Benefits of recycling:

• Recycling protects and expands manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness.
• Recycling reduces the need for landfilling and incineration.
• Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
• Recycling saves energy.
• Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
• Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations.

A study conducted by the Indiana Department of Commerce helps to quantify the economic impact of recycling and reuse on Indiana’s economy. Indiana has 1,700 recycling and reuse establishments that employ approximately 75,000 people. These facilities generate an annual payroll of $3 billion while producing $19 billion in annual revenues. The recycling industry also contributes $285 million in state government tax revenues on an annual basis.
The economic and environmental benefits of recycling have positive societal impacts both today and in the future. Job creation, pollution prevention, and energy conservation all serve to improve our quality of life. If we do not recycle, the repercussions will fall on future generations. Our children and grandchildren will inherit the legacy of virgin production and throw-away consumption. Instead of leaving future generations a depleted natural resource base and more waste in landfills (landfills that incur ongoing costs for monitoring and maintenance) we can leave a stronger economy, greater biodiversity, and less global warming by recognizing the value of recycling and passing this knowledge on to our children.

Our services include:

• Fun classroom presentations for kids grades K-12 that correspondence with State standards
• Classes here at the Depot or in the community on topics such as composting, the 3 R’s, reducing household hazardous waste, and conserving natural resources
• Talks for civic or community groups on topics related to our mission
• A lending library of books and DVDs, including some of the latest documentaries
• On-site tours of the Recycle Depot

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE

Some household wastes can injure living things and the environment to the point of being life threatening. Such wastes Scrapare called hazardous household waste or HHW for short.
A product is considered hazardous if it is toxic, corrosive, flammable, or reactive. People have always produced HHW, but in the twentieth century the amount and variety have greatly increased. Some of the most dangerous include pesticides, drain and oven cleaners, paint strippers, solvents, corrosive (batteries), bleaches and oxidizers.
Americans generate 1.6 million tons of HHW each year. The average home can accumulate as much as 100 pounds ofScrap1 HHW. When improperly disposed of, HHW can create a potential risk to people and the environment. The dangers of improper disposal may not be immediately obvious, but HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or waste water treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets, and present more serious hazards to children and pets.
We can manage HHW by reducing the amount of wastes we produce. There are two ways to reduce HHW in the home. UseScrap2 safer less toxic products and use less. Not every job can be done with safer products, but most can. By learning some simple techniques, most home and garden pesticides can be eliminated. Latex paints can be substituted for oil based paints, and many cleaning chores can be done just as effectively (and for less money) with simple products you can make yourself. Click here for Alternative Non-Toxic Recipes for Common Hazardous Wastes. Some of the safer products go back over a hundred years. Baking soda, vinegar, and soap are things your grandparents Scrap3used. Other products are the result of sophisticated new research to find less volatile, water-based, or plant-based solvents to replace petroleum-based chemicals.
There will be some potentially hazardous products that you may find you cannot do without (i.e. paint, adhesives, and automotive products). In these cases the answer is conservation. Try to minimize your use of these products. Buy only what you need, use it all up, or give the rest to someone who can use it. Reuse or recycle products whenever possible. Consider the health and environmental costs of the products you currently use when deciding what you will buy. Remember that you are ultimately affecting complex biological systems, both in your body and in the environment.
So how do I dispose of my household hazardous waste? Marshall County residents may contact the Recycle Depot at (574) 935-8618 for proper disposal of HHW.

Characteristic wastes

• It is ignitable under certain conditions. Examples are paints and certain degreasers and solvents.
• It is a known corrosive. Examples are rust removers, acid or alkaline cleaning fluids, and battery acids.
• It is unstable and explodes, or produces toxic fumes, gases, and vapors when mixed with water or under other conditions, such as heat or pressure. Examples are certain cyanides or sulfide-bearing wastes.
• It is harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed, or it leaches toxic chemicals into the soil or groundwater when disposed of on land. Examples are wastes that contain high concentrations of heavy metals, such as cadmium, lead or mercury.

YARD WASTE RECYCLING

Yard waste is a major contributor to landfills. Recyclable yard materials such as grass clippings, tree leaves, and plant trimmings occupy 15 to 20 percent of landfill space, second only to paper.
Although this waste is biodegradable, landfills do not get the oxygen and water needed for breakdown. Landfills are constructed to prevent movement of air and moisture in order to protect the surrounding environment.
To help meet the state’s waste reduction goals, Indiana legislation mandates that most landfills can no longer accept certain types of yard waste. In addition, outdoor burning has been banned by most urban communities, eliminating another once popular method of yard waste disposal. This means that residents have to find alternate methods for disposing of yard wastes.
An excellent way to dramatically reduce yard waste is to leave grass clippings on the lawn rather than bagging them for disposal. The amount of grass clippings generated from a given lawn varies, but one estimate indicates that 5,000 square feet of lawn generates about 1 ton of clippings per year! Grass clippings left on the lawn are not harmful to the turf if it is mowed at the proper height and frequency. In fact, the clippings will return some nutrients back to the soil, reducing fertilizer requirements. Contrary to popular belief, grass clippings do not contribute to thatch buildup because they break down quite rapidly. Thatch is composed of dead, decomposing roots, and underground stems.
Maintain the lawn at a height of about 2 ½ to 3 inches, removing no more than 1/3 of the grass blade during each cutting. This will likely mean mowing more often than once a week, but mowing time is greatly reduced when clippings are not collected. Mow only when the lawn is dry to prevent clippings from matting. If the lawn is excessively tall when mowed, you should remove the clipping and either use as mulch or add to a compost pile.

APPLIANCE RECYCLING

Over the last two decades, a technological revolution has taken place. Electronic waste (or E-waste) is the inevitable by-product of this technological revolution. Once built to be repairable, consumer electronics are now designed to be replaced and discarded. Discarded electronic equipment is the fastest growing waste stream in the industrialized world rising by 3% to 5% per year, almost three times faster than the municipal waste stream. E-waste is also a growing toxic waste problem as it is one of the largest known sources of heavy metals and organic pollutants in the waste stream.
E-waste represents as much as 5% of waste disposal, more than beverage containers and disposable diapers. Nationally, and estimated 5 to 7 million tons of computers, televisions, stereos, cell phones, and other electronic gadgets become obsolete every year. A small fraction of this waste is being recycled. A sizable portion, remains in E-waste purgatory (unused but stockpiled in closets, garages, basements, and office storerooms). Businesses are waiting for a responsible opportunity to deal with this material and residents do not want to part with such an expensive “investment.”
Cleaned and sorted, the precious metals and other materials that make up E-waste have considerable value on the recycling market. The root problem is a lack of incentives for recycling, and the relatively high cost of dismantling, cleaning and sorting. Without effective phase-outs of hazardous chemicals and reuse and recycling systems, highly toxic chemicals found in electronics will continue to contaminate soil and groundwater as well as pollute the air, posing a threat to wildlife and people.
Marshall County residents may bring their obsolete electronics to the Recycle Depot for recycling. A nominal fee may apply; call (574) 935-8618 for more information.
Metal Appliances
If you have ever tried to dispose of large appliances, especially those with Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), you know how difficult and expensive it can be. The refrigerant gas (CFC) and the potential for hazardous materials drive up the price for proper disposal. In some cases appliances are disposed of in a manner that harms the environment and leaves the original owner open to liability. Appliances known to contain CFCs include; refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and de-humidifiers.
The Clean Air Act of 1990 required that CFC refrigerants contained in various appliances be removed and recovered prior to disposing of the appliances. If allowed to escape into the air, CFCs contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. Many older appliances have capacitors and ballasts that may contain PCBs, a cancer causing material now banned in appliances manufactured in the United States. Some appliances contain a mercury switch, which represents a serious health risk if not properly reclaimed.
The Recycle Depot collects appliances (including Freon-containing appliances for a nominal fee.) Contact the Depot at (574) 935-8618 for more information. In addition, scrap dealers also collect appliances for recycling. Metal appliances without Freon are usually accepted with no charge.

COMPUTER RECYCLING

The heart of our high tech revolution is rapid innovation, which now brings new technologies to market every 18 months. The useful life span of a personal computer has shrunk from four or five years to two years. For all its benefits, our renaissance of innovation brings with it the interrelated consequences of rapid obsolescence.
The ever-changing nature of the computer industry forces companies to upgrade systems in order to stay competitive, often before their current systems have become obsolete. Many consumers, unwilling to accept that the latest and greatest system they paid top dollar for just two or three years ago is already obsolete, hang on to it in hopes that it will be worth something to someone. The EPA estimates that three-quarters of all computers sold in the U.S. remain stockpiled in storage. Other studies estimate that the number of these unused computers in the U.S. are as high as 315 to 680 million units. If every consumer decided to throw out their obsolete computers at once, the U.S. would face a major budgetary and environmental catastrophe.
Marshall County residents may bring their obsolete computers to the Recycle Depot for recycling. Call the Solid Waste District at (574) 935-8618 for more information.
Product Stewardship
Creative high tech entrepreneurs have created astonishing wealth and growth in our economy. However, the same entrepreneurs that benefit so dramatically from this technological revolution have neglected the resulting waste problems. Corporate decision-makers pass along the indirect costs to the public and the environment in the form of delayed cleanup, health consequences that will last for generations, destruction of natural resources and environmental contamination. The cost to taxpayers and municipalities for E-waste collection, processing and cleanup is great and continues to grow at an accelerated rate.
E-waste components contain lead, cadmium, mercury, and brominated flame retardants compounds known to be hazardous to humans and to the environment. Printed circuit boards contain heavy metals such as antimony, silver, chromium, zinc, lead, tin, and copper. There is hardly any other product for which the sum of the environmental impacts of raw material, extraction, industrial refining and production, use and disposal is so extensive as for printed circuit boards. Electronic product developers are introducing chemicals on a scale which is incompatible with the limited knowledge of their environmental and biological impacts. When these items are dumped into landfills or improperly recycled, they pose a significant hazard to the environment and human health.
A single component of E-waste (cathode ray tubes – CRTs) has emerged as a hazardous waste crisis for local governments. In order to protect consumers from radiation dangers, the glass in CRTs contain lead. Lead composes approximately 20% of each CRT (about 4 to 8 pounds per unit). Lead is a toxic heavy metal, exposure to which poses serious public health risks. Exposure to lead can cause damage to the central nervous and blood systems, and has serious negative effects on the brain development of children.