By Liz Gordon-Hancock

The Village of Bluffton will provide dumpsters for Village Clean-up on May 24-26 at the Spring St. brush dump, when village residents can dispose of items that don't fit in their weekly trash. See guidelines below.

But before you send unwanted items to a landfill, consider these local recycling and reuse programs:

TOWN HALL COLLECTIONS

Residents can drop off the following at Bluffton Town Hall, 154 N. Main St. in the ground floor stairwell:

• Cell phones
• Eye glasses
• Hearing aids
• Household batteries
• Printer ink cartridges
• Worn American flags

Recycling services are provided by the Bluffton Lions Club. Local Boy Scout Troup 256 collects American flags and conducts flag burning ceremonies.

ET CETERA SHOP

The Et Cetera Shop, 327 N. Main St., accepts

• Clean, gently used clothing, shoes and accessories
• Household items and small appliances, in working order

Donations can be dropped off at the garage door behind the store on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The shop recycles items that aren't considered resalable. Please do not drop off soiled or broken items. Donations should be placed in boxes or bags that can be easily lifted by the shop's volunteers.

BOOK REVIEWS
Unwanted hardcover or paperback books can be donated to Book ReViews, 123 S. Main St. The store accepts books in any condition. Those that are not saleable are recycled.

METAL RECYCLING

Trash containing metal, such as broken bicycles, Christmas lights, and lawnmowers can be recycled in exchange for cash at Northwest Ohio Recycling, 13355 Township Rd 2, Pandora. Weekday hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday hours are 8-10:30 a.m.

SPRING CLEAN-UP DISPOSAL GUIDELINES

Items that may not be disposed of in the Spring Street dumpsters (May 24-26) include hazardous materials (motor oil, paint, etc.), vehicle batteries and tires. 

Appliances that use Freon, such as refrigerators, will not be accepted unless it is certified that the Freon has been legally removed and disposed of. 

The use of these dumpsters is reserved for Village residents only. Village employees may randomly verify that individuals utilizing the dumpsters are residents of the Village.