Trash change on the way
The city of Hays will switch to automated trash collection in October, in conjunction with the annual alley cleanup.
Brenda Herrman, director of public works, said each household in Hays will receive 96-gallon polycarts, which will replace the metal trash cans.
No firm date has been set for the start of the new collection system, but the annual alley cleanup is tentatively scheduled to begin Oct. 8.
A continuing element of the annual alley cleanup is electronic recycling, including computers and electronic devices.
The program runs in conjunction with the alley cleanup, which collects items not normally accepted with weekly trash. Residents may begin placing waste outside beginning Oct. 1.
Items such as sofas, old tables and other odd-shaped or sized trash also will be collected.
In addition to collecting e-waste during the alley cleanup, it is offered during route collections or dropping items off at the recycling facility from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
Solid Waste Division Superintendent Marvin Honas said about 80 percent of homes in Hays participate in citywide recycling efforts. Both trash and recyclable goods are collected together weekly, depending on a home's location.
Businesses and larger apartment complexes must have a trash contract with a private trash hauler.
Collection maps are available at the public works office, 1002 Vine.
Blue bags placed near trash cans indicate goods for recycling.
For city crews to pick up recycling, the items must meet the following criteria:
* Residents must presort recyclable items into two separate blue bags. Paper products such as phone books, magazines, newspaper, junk mail and cardboard should be placed in one bag. Other recyclable items such as glass, aluminum and plastics (No. 1 and No. 2 cloudy white) are placed in the second blue bag.
* All paper products must be dry.
* All items for recycling must be in blue bags.
* Yard waste must be bagged and have a special yard waste sticker that can be purchased in the City Clerk's office. They are available in sets of five for $5.25 per set.
Once the blue bags are collected, they travel to the city's recycling facility, which is on the south side of 55th Street near Hall Street. Paper products are baled and sold. Plastic items are compacted and shipped to Hutchinson where a company processes and sells the material.
* Refuse can be placed in any colored bag except blue or red.
Ellis County residents are invited to dispose of yard waste at the compost site without cost. It is located south of 13th Street on General Custer Road.
Items accepted include chipped wood, leaves, grass clippings and garden waste, and tree limbs up to 6 inches in diameter.
In addition to hauling waste to the site for free, residents may collect any wood chips and compost for no charge as it is available.
Paint, oil and other household hazardous waste should not be thrown out in the trash. It should be taken to the county's household hazardous waste collection site, which is on the north side of 55th and Hall streets. Acceptable amounts cannot be any heavier than 50 pounds or 5 gallons.
Amounts larger or heavier than this may be scheduled separately by calling the Ellis County Household Hazardous Waste Site at (785) 628-9449. This site is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The site is limited to household waste and does not accept commercial hazardous waste. It is open to accept waste the third Saturday of each month from April to October.
To make arrangements to have nontraditional trash items such as sofas hauled away at times other than the regularly scheduled cleanup, please contact the Solid Waste Division at (785) 628-7357.