SIDNEY — The city of Sidney, the Shelby County Commissioners, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Minster Bank, Shelby County Libraries, the Sidney-Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency, the Shelby County Agricultural Society, the Sidney-Shelby County Health Department, the North Central Solid Waste District, TAM 105.5 radio and Cohen Recycling will be partnering this year for Sidney’s Super Saturday Recycling Event, Sidney Mayor Mike Barhorst said. The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 8, at the Shelby County Fairgroundsfrom 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Items accepted for recycling will include electronic devices, prescription drugs, books, and confidential documents. It was announced that there will be some changes this year.
“Unfortunately, after participating for the first five years, Goowill Easter Seals Miami Valley (GESMV) will not participate this year,” Barhorst said. “The market for electronics has changed dramatically. Because of the fluctuations in the market, GESMV no longer recycles electronic devices as part of their business. In the past, we’ve been billed for electronic devices with screens. This year, we will receiving a bill for every electronic device. Even so, we only plan to collect money for electronic devices that have screens.”
Working and non-working items that will be accepted include computers, monitors, hard drives, printers, cell phones, printer cartridges, keyboards, mice, speakers, cords and cables, software, routers and switches, fire walls, servers and scanners.“In reality, if it has a cord, we will accept it,” Shelby County Commissioner Bob Guillozet said.
“The charge for recycling televisions and computer monitors under 24 inches will be $5 each,” Guillozet said. “Televisions and computer monitors between 24 and 42 inches will be $10 each. Any television over 42 inches will be $15. We are not equipped to accept credit cards – we can only accept cash, but will provide a receipt for your records.”
“Those participating should understand that we cannot accept large appliances or any type of hazardous waste including paints, pesticides, batteries or tires,” Guillozet said. “If you bring it along, you will simply have to take it back home with you.”
“Minster Bank will again be providing on-site document shredding service for individuals and businesses,” Minster Bank Sidney Branch Manager Rhonda Keister announced following the group’s final planning meeting. “The program provides secure, confidential document shredding. Minster Bank is pleased to once again be a part of the program.”
Minster Bank has provided document shredding at their Sidney location since 2008. They have provided it as a part of the Super Saturday Recycling Event since 2013.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office will once again be participating in this event, collecting no longer needed drugs so that they can be disposed of properly. “I’d like to encourage families to clean out their medicine cabinets and bring their out-of-date prescriptions to the Fairgrounds on Super Saturday,” Shelby County Sheriff John Lenhart said. “We will ensure that the drugs are disposed of properly. Drugs should not be flushed down the toilet, as they will only pollute our streams, rivers and oceans. We cannot accept liquid medication. Additionally, we cannot accept needles or syringes. In fact, if you happen to find illegal drugs, we’ll even take them off your hands, no questions asked.”
Books were collected for the first time two years ago. The books are collected by volunteers from Amos Memorial Public Library.
“The books are separated into three categories,” Shelby County Public Libraries Executive Director Suzanne Cline said. “Some of the books may be added to our extensive collection, many of them will be sold at the library’s annual book sale, and some, especially sets of encyclopedias, are recycled.”
“Unfortunately, sets of encyclopedias are not worth much money,” Cline said. “If you have an 11th edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica in good condition, it is the exception. Considered the granddaddy of encyclopedias, it was published in 1910 and if in good condition, is worth as much as $3,000! The others are simply recycled.”
TAM 105.5 radio personality Joe Laber will once again broadcast live from the event, something he has done for the past couple of years.
“This is a great event,” Laber said. “Recycling is a passion of mine. I would encourage everyone in Sidney and the surrounding area to do their spring housecleaning and bring their no longer needed electronic devices, old tax records, books and even old medicines so that they can disposed of properly.”
“I want to again thank Fourth Ward Councilman Steve Wagner for making the connection with Cohen Recycling,” Barhorst said. “When GESMV announced that they would no longer participate, we were concerned that we would no longer be able to accept electronic devices. Cohen’s participation guarantees that the devices will be disposed of properly. In addition, we’ll again be able to ensure those who drop off their computers that the hard drives will be secured and scrubbed.
“In the first five years of the Super Saturday event, we have recycled nearly 120 tons of electronics,” Barhorst said. “As someone long interested in recycling, I am delighted that we have been able to properly dispose of these items, provide jobs, and help keep landfills from filling up. When you add to the recycling of electronics the ability to properly dispose of drugs and being able to find new homes for books, this is indeed a ‘super’ event.”
Individuals who would like additional information about the event can contact City Clerk Kari Egbert (937-498-8143 or [email protected]).
