By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
After a year and half of lockdown, we probably all need to do a little purging so the City of Wyoming has brought back its popular Community Clean Up Day which is set for Saturday, Aug. 7, at Grand Rapids First. 2100 44th St. SW. The event will be from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Started five years ago by employees, the event has become one of the most popular in the city. Before the annual clean up, the city would place dumpsters in certain neighborhoods where residents would be able to discard unwanted items. In 2016, city staff decided to host the community clean-up day which had more than 300 cars come through the site and 33 20-yard roll-offs of trash. The event has continued to grow every year since.
“We hope to have a great turnout for this event as we have had in the past,” said Mayor Jack Poll.
Of course with the COVID pandemic, the event was cancelled for 2020. City officials made the commitment to have the event this year. City Manager Curtis Holt, at the Aug. 2 City Council meeting, noted that this year the city will not be collecting hazardous waste. For those looking to dispose of hazardous waste such as rechargeable batteries, needles, or garage and automotive products such as coolant, visit the Kent County site reimagetrash.org for drop off locations.
Other items not accepted at the Wyoming Community Clean-Up day are kitchen garbage, liquid latex paint, yard waste, TVs, vehicles batteries, sealed drums, liquid, biological, radioactive waste, propane tanks, refrigerants, and explosives.
Liquid latex paint can be dried and placed in residential waste disposal. For details on doing this, search “drying paint for disposal.”
For yard waste, the city does have a yard waste drop-off site at 2600 Burlingame Ave. SW. Wyoming residents, with proof of residency, may bring sorted yard waste from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday – Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Ties and mattresses or box springs may be brought to Community Clean-Up event, however there is a fee for those items. Whole tires are $10 each and mattresses or box springs are $15 each.
Poll said residents also may bring gently used items as the Salvation Army will be on hand to collect as well.
Residents must bring proof of residency such as a photo identification, utility or credit card statement within the last 90 days, bank statement from the last 90 days, mortgage, lease, or rental agreement, insurance policy, a license, or Michigan vehicle registration.
Participants should enter the site using the right lane of eastbound 44th Street. Participants also must be in line by 1:30 p.m. in order to drop off items.
For more information about the event, visit wyomingmi.gov/cleanup.
