Ask Mr. Answer Person: "Could you please explain what isn't accepted at the rural garbage collection sites?"

Judy e-mails Mr. Answer Person:  "Could you please explain what isn't accepted at the rural garbage collection sites? I recycle everything that can be recycled but that still leaves some items sitting waiting for a place to go."

Mr. Answer Person thinks it's a better idea to have Winneshiek County Recycling Coordinator Terry Buenzow field your question:

"There are a large number of items that cannot be accepted at a Winneshiek County Rural Waste Site, or in any other form of trash pick up in our area for that matter.  Without knowing exactly what it is, it is difficult to give a precise disposal answer for each particular item or material one is trying to get rid of. Here is a brief, condensed version of items that are not allowed in our landfill and what should be done with
them:

Asbestos, liquid paint, solvents, motor oil, petroleum based liquids, lead acid and other rechargeable batteries, antifreeze, tires, yard waste, televisions, computer monitors, microwaves, refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, stoves, dehumidifiers, PCB based ballasts, hazardous chemicals, electric motors, and corrugated cardboard.

The appliances, TVs, and computer monitors all must be handled by an Iowa DNR certified collector or processor. There are a number of these in our area.  Contact the Winneshiek County Recycling Department for a list of the certified outlets. The best thing one can do when buying a new appliance or TV is ask the seller to take away your old one. If they won't, move on and do business with one that will.

For tires contact any tire dealer and ask about old tire disposal.  There will be a small disposal fee for each tire no matter where you go.  Don't bother holding onto them in hope of a free tire disposal clean up day as these ended many years ago and will not return.

Each municipal area has a yard waste site. The one in Decorah has an overabundance of wood chips and compost right now. Take some home while you are there.

Liquid paint should be dried up and then it can be put in with your regular garbage. The easiest way is to mix it in with some dry wood chips and set it in the sun and wind for a few days until it is dried out. The trick is to start with the driest wood chips you can find and get the most air movement you can through them.  Forget the old pour it on cardboard to dry method. That is very slow, messy, and wastes cardboard.

For the hazardous waste the county has a hazardous waste clean up event once a year. Notice of the next one will be advertised in the area news media. The notice will have a phone number to call where you will be asked about your particular item. This is done to make sure that materials brought to the event are truly hazardous in nature. A number of items that one may suspect to be hazardous might not actually be and can be dealt with by other means.

The Winneshiek County Recycling Center accepts motor oil, antifreeze, lead acid and rechargeable batteries, electric motors, a multitude of other recyclable materials, and of course, corrugated cardboard. Corrugated cardboard is likely the most common item that sneaks into the trash. It has not been allowed in our landfill for quite some time now.