Household waste was left over night in a recycle bin at KC Recycling Depot. (Photos by Amanda McFarland)

A sign near the recycling bins warns users against dumping.

WARSAW — When personnel at KC Recycling Depot, Warsaw, arrived at work Tuesday morning, July 19, what they saw behind their building was the proverbial last straw.

Furniture, exercise equipment, cookware and dishes are a sampling of what Household Hazardous Waste Coordinator Jim Ault found himself digging out of the recycling bins this morning. Other items included TVs, hazardous liquids, oxygen tubing and other hazardous materials.

That was not all they left, however.

“Whoever did this wasn’t very sly,” KC Recycling Depot Educator Sarah Fruit said. “They left their mail.”

This is not the first time KC Recycling Depot has experienced dumping. While the problem is not quite as prevalent at the Warsaw location, other sites have had quite a bit of abuse. In particular, Fruit and Ault noted, the Syracuse location has seen a lot of dumping.

Long-term consequences, according to Fruit and Director Shelly Heckert, could include limiting access to recycling, such as narrowing drop-off sites to one gated location with limited hours.

“The unfortunate thing about it in the long run, it’ll just drive the cost up for the services,” Fruit said.

Another issue is that wording as far as dumping is concerned is vague. Fruit pointed out that, if KC Recycling Depot does decide to pursue charges, they could call it any number of things: Theft of services, dumping or littering.

Despite their frustrations, KC Recycling Depot personnel want to educate the public as far as what is recyclable. Signs posted on the bins state what can and cannot be placed in the recycling containers. A PDF document outlining this information is also available here. Guidelines for household waste items that can be brought to the recycling depot — but not left in the recycling bins — are available here.

Many of items left in the recycling bin are still usable and will be taken to Goodwill. Others will have to be hauled away as trash. The hazardous chemicals will need to be treated as such. Ault noted that, at the least, the usual charges may apply for the TVs.

To learn more about KC Recycling Depot, click here.