Recycle CFLs, More at Green Fair

Writer(s): 

WOOSTER, Ohio — Don’t know what to do with your burned-out compact fluorescent light bulbs? Old car tires? Cans of unused paint? Take them to Wooster’s Scarlet, Gray and Green Fair.

A recycling station at the April 19 fair, which is at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, will take in those and certain other residential items. A full list of the items is at u.osu.edu/sggf/recycling/. Many of them are seldom handled by normal curbside recycling.

Besides doing good for the planet, the first 200 people to recycle at the station will get a $2.50-off coupon they can redeem at the fair’s food vendors — three food trucks and a natural dairy, all four featuring local foods.

The fair and recycling station are free. Hours for both are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The food trucks will close at 2 p.m., but the dairy, selling ice cream, will be open throughout the event.

OARDC, which is the research arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University, is at 1680 Madison Ave.

What you can bring

Included on the recycling station’s accepted list are:

  • Compact fluorescent light bulbs. Recycling CFLs keeps the small amount of toxic mercury inside them from getting out into the environment, according to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website.
  • Three- and four-foot fluorescent tubes, which have mercury in them, too.
  • Sensitive documents, for secure shredding and recycling by Creston, Ohio-based Sanmandy Enterprises. The limit is two boxes per person.
  • Latex and water-based paints. Habitat for Humanity in Wayne County will reuse them.
  • Car tires, bicycles, household items (but not furniture), working small appliances, and working computers and accessories of any age. Goodwill Industries will reuse, refurbish or recycle them.
  • Expired and unused pharmaceuticals, for safe disposal by the regional Medway Drug Enforcement Agency.

Included in that last category are prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, residential medication samples, pet medications, vitamins, inhalers, medicated ointments, lotions and liquid medicine.

Excluded from that category, however, are syringes, hazardous materials, needles, thermometers, IV bags, aerosol cans, hydrogen peroxide, business waste and bloody infectious waste.

Chance to be green

Activities at the fair will be in and around Fisher Auditorium near OARDC’s main entrance.

In all, the event will have about 50 vendors and exhibitors. They’ll showcase green-related products, efforts and services. Organizers call it a celebration of ways to be sustainable.

Further details are at u.osu.edu/sggf, or contact Gwen Zimmerly at zimmerly.30@osu.edu or 330-263-3719.

Writer(s): 
CFAES News Team
614-292-2270
For more information, contact: 

Laura Chapin
chapin.23@osu.edu
330-263-3815

Gwen Zimmerly
zimmerly.30@osu.edu
330-263-3719