Carmel Utilities Sponsors Earth Day Large Item Recycling Event, April 24

Carmel Utilities, in conjunction with the Carmel Green Initiative and DAO Recycling, have teamed up to hold a major recycling event on Earth Day 2010. The event will run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, April 24th and will feature free home pick-up of appliances and other hard to recycle items for Carmel residents. Residents are offered tax deductible receipts for many items.

“The City of Carmel continually explores options that will help make our community healthier and safer. We have had such success with our Household Hazardous Waste Disposal program, keeping tons of material that is hazardous to our environment out of our storm sewer and waste water systems. In 2009 alone, we collected more than 86 tons of household hazardous material. This major recycling initiative is another way we can help our residents accomplish a type of clean-up that is often difficult to complete,” said Mayor Jim Brainard.

DAO will provide services at no charge to residents and possesses all required EPA licenses. “We are happy to work with Carmel Utilities to provide very green recycling options that support social programs,” said DAO founder Cal Hultquist. “Our goal is to educate the public on how and why to properly recycle appliances and other household items. Scrappers who comb neighborhoods and pick up old appliances set curbside, rarely possess the equipment or EPA training to properly recover CFCs and other hazardous pollutants.” To learn more, visit www.daorecycling.org.

On Saturday, the 24th, DAO crews will pick up large items, by appointment, that are difficult to drop off. This would include household appliances such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, stoves, ovens, furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners and yard maintenance equipment such as lawn mowers. DAO will also pick up other items that are difficult to transport including large office equipment, mattresses, box springs, large playground equipment (broken down). To schedule a pick up time with DAO, please call (317) 375-7788 or schedule online by emailing name, address, phone number and a description of recyclables to info@applianceproject.org.

All items must be disconnected and ready for pick-up. “To insure that appliances are properly recycled, please do not set recyclables curbside,” said Sue Maki of Carmel Utilities. “If the pick-up schedule for Saturday fills, DAO has agreed to do pick-ups on Sunday, April 25th, as well.”

At the Earth Day Celebration Open House held at the Waste Water Treatment Plant on Saturday, April 24th from noon to 4 p.m., DAO will accept: all of the above plus electronics, microwaves, small appliances, TVs of all types, cell phones, computer equipment (with hard drives removed or reformatted), dehumidifiers, small lawn tools, fans, medical/orthopedic equipment, cardboard and bicycles.

Orthopedic equipment will be donated to Physicians for Peace and bicycles will be donated to Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation (HVAF), HOPE, Inc. (Helping Others Prosper Economically), and Partners in Housing. Tax deductible receipts are offered for these items.

Major appliances may be designated for use by the nonprofit veterans training program, “The Appliance Project” www.redeploy.org and donors will be provided a tax deductible receipt. The appliances are used to train veterans, sponsored by various veterans and homeless organizations. “In 2009, DAO created 30 new recycling jobs, half of them for veterans,” Hultquist said.