Tippecanoe County Solid Waste Management District

Frequently Asked Questions

» Helpful Information

General

How do I dispose of latex paint?

The Tippecanoe County Solid Waste Management District doe NOT take latex paint. Please follow the steps below to properly dry and dispose of latex paint.

For cans less than half full:

-Pour clay cat litter or Oil dri (available at home improvement stores) in the paint can at 1:1 ratio.

-Stir and leave the lid off for a day or two.

-Set out with your regular trash with lid OFF so the wokers can see that it is dry, and they will pick it up.

For full cans:

-Line a box with a trash bag, pour the litter or Oil Dri in, and pour half of the paint on top.

-Add cat litter or Oil Dri to the paint remaining in the can.

-Mix and allow to dry.

-Set out with your regular trash with the lid OFF so the workers can see that it is dry and t heywill pick it up.

Does the Solid Waste Management District accept materials from businesses for free?

At this time the Solid Waste Managemnt District only provides free servics to households.

Does the Solid Waste Management District provide pick-up services?

No, the we currently only have drop-off servies for households. Please contact a private trash hauler or a city street and sanitation department for pick up services.

Composting

Can I just bury food scraps in the ground?

Yes! Dig down six to eight inches, then bury grains, fruit and vegetable scraps. This is deep enough to discourage animals from digging it up, but it still composts.

Are there other easy ways to compost fall leaves?

You can run over them with your mower and leave them on the lawn to decompose over winter. You can also rake them into a pile and mow over them. Presto - instant mulch! Either spread this mulch in your garden to decompose over winter, or save it in bags over the winter to mulch with in early summer. Putting down up to four inches of chopped up leaves on your garden plants in June means even moisture for them, less weeding for you all summer. Just keep mulch two inches away from plant stems.

How Do I Compost Leftover Food Scraps?

You need an enclosed bin to compost fruit, vegetable and grain scraps to exclude animals. Make your own by cutting out the bottom of a study plastic trash can and setting it in the ground about eight inches. Fill three quarters full with fall leaves, then add food scraps. Pull leaves over the food each time you add it. Continue to add leaves as the pile decomposes down.

You can easily save 500 pounds of food scraps from the landfill every year using this method. Never add meat, dairy or grease to your pile.

Also see www.mastercomposters.com for other bins to order and more composting ideas.

You can also bring food waste to the West Lafayette Street department to feed the biodigester that helps to fuel the waste water treatment plant. For more information on this, see www.westlafayette.in.gov/topic/index.php?topicid=264&structureid=180

What if my bin smells bad?

You need to get oxygen into it. Add more fall leaves and stir or poke the pile to get air into it. Microbes that can live in environments without oxygen create bad smells, and you want to encourage the other kind. If the pile is too wet or has too much green material it can smell. The solution is the same - add leaves or chopped up paper and stir. Some composters drill holes in plastic pipe and insert into the midde of their piles. This introduces air, and can also be used to get water into the middle of the pile.

Can I compost in an apartment?

If you live in an apatment or have a small yard you can now consturct or purchase a bin made for indoor composting. The bins will allow you to dispose of food scraps and produce soil in your home with reduced oder. Once you have made soil you can used it in house plants or donate it to local school and community garden projects. For more tips on constucting your own bin and what to do with the soil follow the links below.

• https://www.thekitchn.com/composting-without-a-garden-189247
• https://lafayettecommunitygarden.org/