Spring cleanup initiative draws tons of waste

By Ginger Brashinger

Chicago Height´s spring cleanup initiative allowed residents an opportunity to "eliminate the negative" in their home environments on the final day of May.

Four stations were set up at 10th Street and Dixie Highway for hazardous waste disposal, electronics recycling, document shredding and used tire collection.

"The story here is that the citizens of Chicago Heights benefit today," said Clem DeLuca, owner of B-52 Document Shredding and Recycling. "This type of cleanup is going on all over the Heights."

DeLuca´s company handled about a ton of paper at the midway point through the seven-hour day, according to employee Joe Dee. Each resident household was allowed a 96-gallon tote for free shredding throughout the day.

Intercon Solutions provided services for those who needed to get rid of used electronics. Terry Shelley, business development manager for Intercon, noted the electronics collected that day would be recycled in the true sense of the word.

"We don´t give these to institutions for reuse," said Shelley, "because there is always the possibility of personal information remaining on electronics. We separate the components into raw materials, and they are sent to manufacturing companies to make completely new products. That way all personal information is destroyed."

Intercon collected more than 100 pieces of electronics equipment, including a number of old computers and monitors.

Streets and sewer department employees Bob Lien and John Smado were on hand to collect used tires with help from Jesse Perez Jr.

"We´ve collected probably about 150 tires so far today," said Lien, "and they´ve done an equal amount at the east location."

Residents simply had to drive up, and Lien, Smado and Perez hauled the tires into an open waste bin for removal.

Illinois EPA representative David Saladino oversaw a well-tuned hazardous waste collection operation, involving several stations and 32 employees of Heritage Environmental Services.

"It´s been very steady all day," Saladino said at midday. "We´ve had more than 300 people go through already, so we´re right on pace with we expected."

Saladino noted that the highest volume items are paint and paint products, followed by motor oil, gasoline and other automotive fluids.

Chicago Heights resident Marla Hillery had more than one objective for the day when she arrived at the Bloom Plaza site with her waste products.

"I really have two reasons for being here today. I´m part of an organization my church, Life Christian Fellowship, is starting," Hillery said, "so I really came to volunteer today. But, I have also been a resident for six and a half years, and when I moved into my home, I inherited chemical waste. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to take care of that."

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