That ratty couch in your rec room?
The mattress the cat’s been using as a litter box?
How about that old television set that hasn’t worked since the Clinton Administration?
Now’s your chance to get rid of all of it and it won’t cost you a dime extra.
Bulk trash collection happens twice a year — once in the fall and once in the spring. The spring event is set for next week from May 18 through May 22. Crews from Advanced Disposal will be picking up all kinds of junk — tons of it.
“Last fall we collected about 413-414 tons of trash, says Pam Adams, the regional refuse and recycling administrator for the Centre Region Council of Governments. “An average week is about 205 (tons),” she adds.
Bulk trash collection is available for residents in Patton, Harris, Ferguson, College and Benner Townships. State College Borough residents have a special deal — more on that below. Collection crews will take most things, but there are limits.
“Bulk items can include beds, couches, shelving units, doors, just about anything,” Adams points out. “They don’t take construction materials, meaning large pieces of concrete … if you’re having major renovations you can’t put all of that out, you need a dumpster.”
Customers can get rid of a fairly wide assortment of appliances, but only one of each type. In other words, you can put out one refrigerator, one water heater, and one stove.
Anything that can’t be lifted by two workers will be left behind.
There are some additional items that won’t be taken. That includes hot tubs, furnaces, trailer and boat hitches, anything made out of cast iron, pianos, leaves, grass, dirt, concrete, bricks, stones, railroad ties, propane tanks, paints and solvents, batteries — and no, dead animals also aren’t allowed.
For some reason, one of the most popular throwaway items always seems to be tires. “Our average is probably about 11 tons of tires,” says Adams.
Tires have to be passenger-sized and the rims must be removed — and the limit is 10 tires per household.
Not everything goes straight to the landfill. “The things that get recycled now are computers and TVs, tires and electrics — appliances and refrigerators — scrap metal types of things,” says Adams.
In the spring of 2013, they collected 23 tons of electronics. In 2014 they picked up between eight and nine tons of computers, TVs and other types of electronic gizmos.
Remember, you can’t just toss everything out on the curb. Glass doors should be taped. Carpeting should be rolled up and tied. Pieces of wood must be cut into four foot long sections and be bundled together.
Don’t worry, if you miss this bulk trash pick up the next one is scheduled for Oct 12-16.
There’s a whole different set up for people living in State College Borough. “We do (bulk pick ups) weekly throughout the year,” says the borough’s public works director, Mark Whitfield. “Monday is the bulk item day unless it’s a holiday. Residents can go online and put in a service request or they can call our service line 234-7135.”
Anything you want carted away has to be placed on the curb. “If its brush we ask that butt ends face the street so they can run it through the chipper,” says Whitfield. “We ask that they take the doors off refrigerators. We will take carpet as long as it’s one room and not a whole house. Also, big rocks or roots that require special equipment — we’ll take it but there will be a special charge for it.”
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