CHRISTMAS TREE DROP-OFF SITES

After the holidays are over, residents can take their tree to one of four drop-off sites: Edward R. Walsh Park (formerly known as Bellflower Park) at 7221 Bellflower Road (behind the Farmington Meadows development); Eleanor B. Garfield Park at 7967 Mentor Avenue; Donald E. Krueger Park at 7556 Chillicothe Road, or Morton Park at 9325 Rosemary Lane.

Please remember to remove all decorations before leaving your tree in the designated area. The drop-off sites are open until January 31st.

Trees will NOT be picked up with recycling materials.

New Garbage & Recycling Program with Reduced Rates Begins February 1st

The City of Mentor is pleased to announce that a new five year contract with Waste Management will include reduced rates for both garbage and recycling, and the elimination of the fuel surcharge. Garbage will be collected on the same day as before. The main difference is that recyclable materials will be collected EVERY OTHER WEEK, rather than weekly. A new cart for collecting recyclables will be delivered to your home beginning the week of January 16. Residents will also receive a letter along with a calendar, identifying which weeks your recyclables will be collected. Residents may choose to keep their existing yellow or green recycling bin, or place it inside your new recycling cart.

But, the best news is that the cost for both garbage and recycling is now significantly lower than what you have been paying. If you use one cart for garbage, your cost for BOTH garbage and recycling will be just $7.64 per month. Waste Management will bill this amount to you on a quarterly basis. Call Waste Management at (800) 989-9278 to set up new service, modify service, or if you have any questions or concerns.

The following items are collected curbside from single-family homes on public residential streets on a weekly basis: garbage, bulk items and yard waste. Materials are collected by separate vehicles, and therefore, could be collected at different times on your scheduled day (between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.). Make sure all your material is set out at the curb by 7 a.m. the morning of your collection day. There are no callbacks for service. Please remove your cans from the curb BEFORE 7 p.m. on your pick-up day.

2012 Program Brochure with Map and Revised Calendar

You can print out the attached revised Calendar which replaces the one that was mailed to all households in January. Refer to this color coded map to identify the recycling zones.

RECYCLING

Beginning in 2012, curbside recycling collection returns for all single-family residential homes on public streets. Recycling materials will be picked up every OTHER week. Waste Management has already delivered new containers.

Materials that can be recycled include: newspapers, junk mail and office paper; plastic bottles and jars (those marked #1-#7 on the bottom); chipboard (cereal boxes); glass bottles and jars; aluminum and steel cans. Call Waste Management at (800) 989-9278 if you have questions about this program.

The drop off site on Carpenter Drive will CLOSE on January 31st.

YARD WASTE

Yard waste collection is provided as part of your garbage collection service. The program runs from the first full week of April to the third full week of December. In 2012, the program runs from April 2 through December 21. Collection is limited to 12 units per week, but increases to 25 units per week from October to December. Each unit should weigh less than 35 lbs.

Brush should not exceed three inches in diameter and must be cut into four foot lengths and tied in bundles. Grass clippings, plants, leaves, small twigs, hedge trimmings, etc. can be contained in paper yard waste bags or rigid containers up to 32 gallon capacity with holes drilled on the side near the bottom to allow for water drainage. Leave the lid off and mark the container with YW. Please call Waste Management with any service concerns.

Any other questions can be directed to the City’s Public Works Department at (440) 974-5780 or pubworks@cityofmentor.com.

HOLIDAYS THAT IMPACT CURBSIDE PICK-UP DAY:
New  Year’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.  If a holiday falls on a weekday, your service will be conducted the day after your regular pickup day. If the holiday falls on a weekend, your service will not be delayed. If in doubt, put it out.

BULK ITEMS

Your weekly service also includes the collection of bulk items. Subscribers can dispose of items such as appliances, furniture and other large items that might not fit in a container. Call Waste Management ONE DAY BEFORE your collection day to insure pick up. Prohibited materials include tires, hazardous materials, yard waste, construction or demolition debris, large auto parts or dead animals. CFC’s in air conditioners and refrigerators MUST be removed prior to pick up and the appliance must be property tagged by a certified technician. You can call the Public Works Department at (440) 974-5780 for other disposal options.

OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE

• Residents can continue to set out large bulk items, like furniture and appliances, that do not fit in a garbage container. These items must be under eight feet long and weigh less than 250 pounds.
• There will be no change to the Yard Waste Collection Program, other than the program ends one week earlier than in the past, (December 21, 2012). The program begins the first full week of April (April 2, 2012).
• The City of Mentor will continue to subsidize the cost of garbage collection.
• Residents may want to use private paper collection bins located for disposal of junk mail and office paper. These green and bright yellow collection bins with the “Paper Retriever” logo on the side are offered as a fundraiser for organizations, such as the schools and library.

OTHER RECYCLING SERVICES

The Lake County Solid Waste District will no longer organize special phone book collections, but they can still be recycled by placing them in one of the Paper Retriever bins located throughout the county. There is one located at the Mentor Public Library and another at Barnes & Noble.

Fluorescent bulbs can be recycled at Home Depot or Lowe’s.

Pharmaceutical Drug Collection & Disposal. Don’t just throw away your unwanted or expired prescription or over the counter medicines. Dispose of them safely, by taking them to the Mentor Police Department at 8500 Civic Center Boulevard and placing them in a special collection bin. Items collected include unwanted and expired prescriptions, cold/flu medications, pain relievers, pet medications, vitamins, creams, cough syrups, pills and prescription pain killers.  Remove, or black out the personal information printed on the pharmacy labels, but leave the medicines in their original package or container. Absolutely no needles or syringes are permitted in these bins.

For information on where to dispose of computers, tires, household hazardous waste, visit the Lake County Department of Utilities’ website or call (440) 350-4000.