STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) -- Local solid waste departments are reminding you to take a look at what you're throwing out this summer to make room for new gear in your shed.
Portage County solid waste administrator Alexander Beyer says your first choice if you can't sell it should be to donate it to charity. "Possibly Goodwill or St. Vincent De Pauls or other places that accept donations. So even if you're not making a profit for selling it, you can put it back out there so it's not going into the landfill." Donations can also get electronics and furniture to families in need in the community.
If you are looking to get rid of hazardous or electronic waste with the county, you should call ahead so they'll know what you're bringing. That includes household chemicals, oil based paints and stains and other toxic materials. Beyer says the county will take also most metal for scrap, including your used light machinery. "If you have that old lawnmower you don't want anymore? Long as the gas and oil are drained out of it we can that as scrap metal as well." If you are looking to get rid of a lot of scrap metal or electronic waste, Beyer recommends you shop around for better prices with local businesses.
If you're looking to throw out burnt out compact or regular florescent light bulbs, Beyer says they are also treated as hazardous waste because of the mercury in the tubes. "We accept those here, it's 50 cents for a small bulb. Anything that's a compact fluorescents or a 4-foot or less tube. The longer tubes are 75 cents each. We take those any time we're open."
To get a complete list of things the county will pick up or accept, head to their website at: