After all the presents have been opened and scrumptious holiday meals eaten, it’s time to clean up the mess. Boxes, bows and wrapping paper, household garbage and even old Christmas trees need to be hauled away.
Luckily, Liberty County residents have seven convenience centers where holiday - and everyday – household waste and recyclable items can be taken. Liberty County Solid Waste supervisor Dave Sapp said the county’s seven convenience centers will be open today from 1-5 p.m. today
Residents can drop off glass and plastic bottles, newspapers, magazines, card board, aluminum cans and milk jugs to recycle.
The centers will also take live Christmas trees until Jan. 8 for the Bring one for the Chipper program, organized by Keep Liberty Beautiful. The used Christmas trees will be recycled. (See “Time to ‘un-deck’ the halls and recycle” column on page 8A of the Courier.)
“Some people put up their trees before Thanksgiving and take them down the day after Christmas,” Sapp said.
The centers also accept yard waste and brown goods such as sofas, mattresses and box springs. The centers will compact household garbage for county residents, as well.
Bobby Smith, a technician with the Liberty County Solid Waste Authority, said the convenience centers stay busy because residents are used to bringing their recyclable items and regular household trash to the centers year-round.
However, some people don’t read the signs or follow instructions well, and that can cause problems, Smith said. People should put the appropriate trash in the corresponding bins, he said.
Smith advises the centers also do not accept old tires, car or truck batteries, used oil, antifreeze or other flammables, medical or hazardous waste, or dead animals of any kind.
Angela and James Menzies of Midway say they try to recycle routinely. The couple brought cardboard boxes and used holiday wrapping paper to the center on Saturday.
“We moved to the area not long ago and brought the empty boxes from the move here,” Angela Menzies said.
A.D. Montgomery, also of Midway, regularly discards his household garbage at one of the county’s convenience centers.
“I only have one (garbage) can at the house and pick-up is on Thursday,” Montgomery said the day after Christmas. “When it gets full, we bring our trash here to keep it from lying around the house.”
County convenience centers are located in Gum Branch, Fleming, Midway, Hinesville, Riceboro and Walthourville.
For more information, call 884-7300.