By K.D. Norris
Operating by the often-used “3-Rs” recycling slogan of “reduce, reuse, recycle”, Kent County Department of Public Works opened its new Grand Rapids administrative offices on Wealthy Street Jan. 6 — a facility that also includes a soon-to-open recycling center, an education center, an electronics drop-off station and not only a SafeChem drop-of station but also a “SafeChem Swap Shop”.
Maybe it should be 4-Rs, with “reimagine” added to the slogan.
Continuing its efforts exemplified by its slogan “Reimagine Trash”, with the county’s Department of Public Works (DPW) website actually being reimaginetrash.org, Kent County officials and DPW leaders held a facility ribbon cutting Jan. 6 to officially open the facility, with its returning and new offerings.
“The new administration center brings our team together and makes it easier for the community to connect with our department and services,” Dar Baas, DPW director, said in supplied material. “The facilities are designed to foster collaboration.”
And that collaboration is exemplified by the new dual SafeChem operations.
“The SafeChem Drop-off station and Swap Shop are a real asset for our community,” Baas said. “Not only do they keep hazardous materials out of area landfills and the environment, they also provide people free products to avoid them being discarded in the first place.”
The “drop and shop” operation is offered all five of the county-managed chemical drop-off locations, including ones in the Kentwood and Wyoming area.
The Wealthy Street Recycling and Administration Center located at 1045 Wealthy St. SW, adjacent to the Recycling and Education Facility, the SafeChem Drop-off station, SafeChem Swap Shop and electronics recycling services. The DPW offices were previously co-located with the Kent County Road Commission on Scribner Avenue and the property was sold in 2021.
All of Kent County’s SafeChem stations — there are several, with varying days and hours, including one each in the cities of Kentwood and Wyoming — allow residents to drop off household waste like cleaners, garden or garage products. The Wealthy Street location also includes a Swap Shop where products that are in good condition can be offered at no cost.
(The reopening the residential recycling drop-off station on Wealthy Street, which has been closed during construction, will be announced soon on reimaginetrash.org, according to a DPQ statement.)
For more information on the DPW’s SafeChem program, visit here.
Also opening last week, on Jan. 8, at the Wealthy Street location, was its electronics drop-off station, planned to be open for drop-off during the same year-round operational hours as our SafeChem household hazardous waste drop-off and SafeChem Swap Shop. (For more information on the list of electronics accepted for recycling at DPW facilities, as well as other local electronics recycling locations, visit here.)
Kentwood, Wyoming, Byron SafeChem site information
According to the Kent County DPW website, the Kentwood location is 5068 Breton SE, Kentwood, with days and hours November-March, Tuesdays, 2:30-4:30 p.m., and April-October, Tuesdays, 1:30-5:30 p.m.
The Kentwood SafeChem site remained open after the closure of the city’s satellite recycling-drop off.
“A special thank you to City of Kentwood for their partnership,” the DPW website states. “We’re grateful to the City of Kentwood for hosting this SafeChem collection site.”
The Wyoming area location is 2350 Ivanrest Ave. SW, Grandville, with it open Mondays, 1-3 p.m., and Thursdays 7-9 a.m.
“A special thank you to City of Wyoming for their partnership,” the DPW website states. “We’re grateful to the City of Wyoming for not only hosting this SafeChem collection site but for staffing the SafeChem collections.”
The Byron Center location is 10300 South Kent Dr. SW, with its days and hours being November-March, Mondays, 8:30-10:30 a.m., and April-October, Mondays, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
