The Valparaiso compost site, 2150 W. Lincolnway, and the Boone Grove compost site, 546 S. 400 W., will be closed Saturday, July 4, for the Independence Day holiday. Both compost sites will reopen with regular hours on Monday, July 6.
Regular season hours for the Valparaiso compost site are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. The Valpo site is owned and operated by the City of Valparaiso with management assistance from the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County.
Regular hours for the Boone Grove site, owned and operated by the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County, are noon to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
The compost sites allow the district and select municipalities to manage organic material, composting yard waste and grinding organic wood waste to create large amounts of finished compost and mulch. The resulting compost and mulch are available free to Porter County residents to use, while supplies last.
Porter County residents should call the district, 465-3694, to determine material availability and site access during inclement weather. Residents should bring their own shovels and containers to load as much compost and mulch as they want.
Both sites accept organic yard waste, leaves, garden and household plants, brush, limbs, logs and firewood. Residents must remove bags and other containers upon dropping off materials. No treated wood or lumber of any kind is accepted. Grass is only accepted at the Boone Grove site.
Other materials accepted for recycling at both sites include: household batteries, old electronics (cell phones and accessories, computers, televisions, anything with an electrical cord or batteries), fluorescent light bulbs (tubes and CFLs), toner cartridges, and old media (CDs, DVDs, video games, etc. Cassette, VCR or other media with tape/film are no longer accepted).
The Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County is an agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life by providing services and educational programs which help residents reduce, reuse, and recycle.
For more information on the compost sites or the Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County, visit www.ItMeansTheWorld.org or call 219-465-3694.