By SHILEY HECKERT
Director, KC Recycling Depot

WARSAW — Springtime always brings a flurry of environmental activity to the Depot. While we are open throughout winter on weekdays, April 9th is the first Saturday of the year that we are open. Take advantage of these extra hours to help you finish that spring chore list.

In addition to being open and collecting household hazardous waste and other recyclables, April 9, we will have special activities. Integra, will be at the Depot from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. providing secure document destruction. This program is free, but for residents of Kosciusko County only. Integra will shred on site and as an added bonus – all your documents will get recycled.

Also, on April 9, from 10 -11 a.m. Master Gardener Amy Muncy will be holding a Compost Workshop. All attendees will receive a booklet, “Home Composting Made Easy” and one lucky visitor will win a brand new composter. If you already compost and your greens and browns are askew, join us to get some tips to get your compost pile rotting correctly.

The same Saturday, the KC Eco Store will have everything compost and garden related, for sale at 20 percent off. The KC Eco Store is a unique store that is filled with recycled content items. If you have not visited us before, it is worth a trip to window shop and learn the story behind the recycled merchandise.

A popular spring program is our annual tire collection. Tires will be collected during regular weekday hours, May 9–13 and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday May 14. Charges will be: car tires – $1, truck tires – $5 and tractor tires are $15-$40 (depending on size).

For five weeks, April 9 – May 14 we will be having our annual spring litter campaign. Singles, friends, kid groups and service groups — everyone is encouraged to help clean up Kosciusko. The Depot provides litter kits: orange vests, yellow litter bags, Litter Buster bandanas, Marsh water bottles, Culvers free scoop tokens and even road signs are available for safety. Stop in to pick up the materials to make your pick up a success. Advanced Disposal will have a dumpster behind the Depot for the yellow bags (only yellow litter bags — it is not here for a construction project convenience). As an added bonus, Girl Scout troops helped make recycled seed bombs for the kits that can be thrown outside to help beauty our fields and gardens.

We are not done yet. I have saved the newest program for last, our Zero Waste Challenge. We challenge you and anyone else to a Zero Waste Day on Earth Day Friday, April 22. Can you go the entire day without throwing any trash in the can? To be successful you need to make good choices throughout the day. Our website, kcrecycling.com has helpful hints and a downloadable Trash Tracker for participants to fill out. Information can also be picked up at the Depot. A random participant will win four tickets to the Black Pine Animal Sanctuary in Albion, an awesome zero waste activity.

The Depot is located at 220 S. Union St. in Warsaw. Further information can be found at our website or call us at (574) 372-3087.