Current Events

Impact of Mercury on Environment

Mercury is used in a variety of manufacturing processes and products such as thermometers and compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. If you improperly dispose of products with mercury in them, they may break and release mercury vapors which are harmful to human and ecological health.

We are recommending that you please follow the instructions shown on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) web site. It provides instructions on how to handle and dispose of mercury related products. Specifically, you can take the mercury-containing item to our Hoursehold Hazardous Waste (HHW) site in Mishawaka for proper disposal.

2008 Calendar Magnets Available

The District has mailed your 2008 Calendar Magnets. If you have not received your magnet in the mail, please contact the District at (574) 235-9971 or e-mail Mark.

Comment Form Not Available

The District is making modifications to the Request and Comment form on this web site. It is temporarily unavailable for use from this web site. If you have a request (i.e., need a bin or other service from the District), please phone (574) 235-9971 or fax (574) 235-9973 it to us at our office.

American Recycling Day -- 2007 Contest Winners

The District's American Recycling Day's contest had a childrens and an adult bracket. The children's bracket were for children from the ages of 5-to-17 and the adult's bracket were for individuals who were 18 years and older. The contest winners are shown below:

Adult Winners:

Other items or materials not handled by the District

We receive a number of calls asking us about the handling of different types of items that are not acceptable recycling materials. Some of the items are concrete, asphalt, scrap metal, furniture, and clothing, etc. If you have such items, please refer to other disposal servers to see other organizations who may accept your item.

Additional Solid Waste Management Payment Services Options

In 2006, we announced two new customer service options. The first (1) option will be the use of an on-line page within this web site to process your payment for curbside recycling services.

The second (2) option is the use of a credit or debit card to process your payment for curbside recycling services by telephone or in person at our Jefferson street office.

Invitations for Solid Waste Management Educational Presentations

The district conducts educational persentations and can provide educational materials to educators or any public organization who would be interested in running an educational program for to their members. Programs have been conducted at various schools and public locations (See Trash a Pizza ).

See how the Girl Scouts of Troop # 49 are learning the value of recycling.

Please call the district for additional information.

Learn how to handle Electonic Scrap Materials

As Hoosiers receive new electronic devices, such as televisions, computers, hand-held games, and cell phones, they may not know what to do with their unwanted and outdated electronic devices. Businesses are in the same boat, purchasing new computers, printers and more, and needing to get rid of them.

The Indiana Recycling Coalition (IRC) has initiated a statewide campaign to let Hoosiers know that electronic devices contain hazardous material, such as lead and mercury, and should not be thrown in the trash. Instead, the IRC provides many resources for reusing and recycling electronics when they are no longer needed.

The IRC has created a new informational web site at www.eScrapIndiana.org to highlight these resources. The website is a one-stop-shop for all information about proper management of electronics.

Indiana's Statewide Illegal Burning Education Campaign

The Solid Waste Management District of St. Joseph County has joined a statewide cooperative of 25 local Solid Waste Management Districts and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to address the serious problem of illegal burning of trash across Indiana. Indiana's Statewide Illegal Burning Education Campaign links Hoosier communities in an effort to fight illegal burning and will educate citizens that this behavior is no longer acceptable due to substantial risks to human health and our environment.

National Soft Drink Association

See National Soft Drink Association's  -  Annual 2003 Comprehensive Litter Prevention Awards.

Upcoming Events

Look for us in some upcoming events where you can learn more about our program.

Past Events

Those events we've participated in the previous year include: