MEDORA – Holiday weeks tend to generate more trash than normal, and Independence Day is no exception. In addition to more waste at the curb, America’s birthday brings a new set of challenges for the team at Rumpke Waste & Recycling.
“The days following Independence Day are known for burnt trash cans, dumpster fires, and load fires in trash and recycling trucks,” said Bridgett Biggs, safety manager at Rumpke.
To help prevent accidental fires, please follow these guidelines to properly dispose of fireworks and charcoal embers:
- Let them cool: Allow used fireworks or charcoal embers to cool completely.
- Soak in water: Submerge all used and unused fireworks and charcoal embers in a bucket of water. Ideally, soak the material overnight to ensure they are completely saturated.
- Place cooled materials in trash cans. Never place fireworks or charcoal embers in recycling containers.
While fireworks and hot charcoal are common fire starters this time of year, they aren’t the only culprit. Rumpke also encourages residents to properly dispose of lithium-ion batteries, or rechargeable batteries, like those commonly found in electronic devices.
“When it comes to batteries, skip the bin and turn your batteries in,” said Biggs. “Batteries don’t belong in trash and recycling containers. Visit www.batterysafetynow.org for information on how and where to properly dispose of batteries.
Service Schedule
In addition to holiday disposal guidelines, Rumpke reminds customers that with Independence Day falling on a Saturday, trash and recycling services will operate on schedule the rest of this week as well as next week. Please place material at the curb the night before scheduled collection.
For more information about Rumpke, visit www.rumpke.com.
