Staff Reports

Rumpke Waste and Recycling service will be delayed for households next week because of the Memorial Day holiday.

Monday customers will be serviced Tuesday, Tuesday customers will be serviced Wednesday, Wednesday customers will be serviced Thursday, Thursday customers will be serviced Friday and Friday customers will be serviced Saturday.

Normal collection will resume the week of June 1.

Customers are reminded to place material at the curb the night before scheduled collection. Additionally, Rumpke reminds residents that common summer staples don’t belong in trash and recycling containers.

Pool chemicals, charcoal embers, fireworks, propane tanks, batteries and other flammable materials should not be placed in the trash, said Bridgett Biggs, Rumpke area safety manager. She said pool chemicals can be highly reactive and capable of generating extreme temperatures and release toxic vapors if improperly handled or stored.

Also, charcoal embers and fireworks that aren’t properly extinguished can reignite. Customers are advised to soak these items in water prior to disposal.

Biggs also said lithium ion batteries, like those used in yard equipment, cellphones or laptops, can ignite when compacted in garbage trucks.

Rumpke recently experienced truck fires in the region, prompting reminders about common fire-starters mistakenly placed in trash and recycling. The incidents caused large messes and truck damage, but fortunately, there were no injuries.

Instructions for what can be placed in Rumpke’s trash or recycling programs can be found online at rumpke.com.

“If an item says flammable or hazardous, that means it isn’t accepted in our programs,” Biggs said. “The proper way to dispose of these materials is through the local solid waste district.”