Please vote for Bonnie
Master Recycler Bonnie Swarner is a finalist for a $10,000 grant for a project to create fishing line recycling stations in the Lake Michigan and Kankakee watersheds.
Please vote for her project so this great recycling program can be brought to these areas and help save our wildlife.
Public voting will inform the final judging and evaluation (i.e., based on need, innovation, and impact) of each of the 10 finalists' proposed projects. Voting is open until February 21.
TAKES LESS THAN A MINUTE. VOTE HERE: http://www.citizene.org/vote-for-the-next-citizen-e/
Get involved & JOIN US!
Master Recyclers class to begin March 29
Why are some materials recyclable at the curb and others aren't? When waste haulers take trash and recyclables away, what happens to those materials?
The spring Porter County Master Recycler class is primed to answer these questions and more, helping students gain environmental knowledge beyond their curbside recycling totes while having fun and meeting others with similar interests.
The comprehensive program is scheduled from 6-8:30 p.m. on six Thursdays between March 29 and May 17, at the Porter County Community Foundation, 1401 Calumet Ave., Valparaiso.
Collect spring showers with a rain barrel
In preparation for the growing season, get yourself an upcycled barrel from Upcycled Products Inc. Your barrels and accessories will be delivered right to your home!
These barrels are food-grade containers that were once used to ship olives and pickles. Not only are you practicing reuse, but you are reducing the demand for manufactured ones made from molded plastic, therefore reducing our need for petroleum, energy and other resources used in the manufacturing process.
Here are some great reasons why you should use a rain barrel:
- By using harvested rain water, you'll have less strain on your well, and you'll save energy and money.
- The chlorine in your drinking/tap water kills living organisms, making the water safe to drink; but it also kills beneficial bacteria in your garden's soil that your plants need.
- Environmental experts and sewer officials agree that any reduction of rain water flowing into storm sewers is a good thing for neighborhoods and the environment.
- You'll be a role model to your kids!
Household hazardous waste collection schedule set
Mark your calendars! The Porter County household hazardous waste collection schedule is now online.
We will help with your spring cleaning by taking all of those old chemicals and flammables off your hands! Download a flyer.
Valpo compost site open Saturdays
The Valparaiso compost site is open Saturdays only from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 24. The site will remain closed to the public weekdays till March 26, when it will open for the season. The Boone Grove compost site will remain closed till March 26.
What can you do at the compost site?
- Drop off your organic waste.
- Pick up mulch and compost for your gardening needs. Firewood also available.
- Bring a number of household items in for recycling.
Contractors and landscapers, don't forget to register to use the sites this year. All the forms are online.
What's recyclable in NWI?
Everyone in Lake, Porter & LaPorte Counties follows the same guidelines for recycling curbside:
- If your curbside recyclables are picked up by your municipality
- If you contract with a waste hauler that collects your recyclables
- If you drop off recyclables at containers sponsored by your solid waste district