What You Can Do At Home
Take Advantage of incentives and rebates!
Through their GridSmart program, Indiana Michigan Power is offering free hauling & recycling PLUS a $30 rebate checks to pick up your old refrigerator or freezer! Also, get instant discounts on Energy Star compact fluorescent lamps.
NIPSCO's 99 Ways to Conserve Energy
Properly Dispose of Medications
- Northwest: Allen County Sheriff’s Department; 12535 Lima Road; Hours: 8am – 4:30 pm; Phone: 449-7440
- Central: Fort Wayne Police Department; 1320 East Creighton Street; Hours: Open 24/7 in the Lobby; Phone: 427-1222
- Southwest: Indiana State Police Post; 5811 Ellison Road; Hours: Open 24/7 in the Lobby; Phone: 432-8661
- East: New Haven Police Department; 815 Lincoln Highway East;; Hours: Open 24/7 in the Lobby; Phone: 748-7080
Recycle Fluorescent Lamps
They contain toxic, hazardous mercury. Many local locations:
- Connolly’s Do It Best Dupont Village; 515 East Dupont Rd
- Connolly’s Do It Best West State Plaza; 1203 State Blvd
- Connolly’s Do It Best South Gate Plaza; 5221 South Calhoun St
- Connolly’s Do It Best Shoppe’s at Scott; 10301 Illinois Rd
- Umber’s Do It Best Georgetown North; 2814 Maplecrest Rd
- Umber’s Do It Best Waynedale; 2413 Lower Huntington Rd
- Grabill Hardware Downtown Grabill; 13534 Main St
-
Sears at Glenbrook Mall Merchandise Pick-Up Area; 4201 Coldwater Rd. (Accepts only 4-foot bulbs)
Recycle Batteries
- Alkaline (radios, smoke detector, toys)
- Lead Acid (automobiles)
- Lithium-Ion (computers, cellular phones, watches)
- Mercury (hearing aids, watches, calculators, cameras)
- Nickel Cadmium (power tools, cordless phones)
- Nickel Metal Hydride (computers, cellular phones)
- Silver Oxide (watches, calculators, hearing aids)
at many national chain stores including:
- Best Buy
- Lowe’s
- Radio Shack
- Office Depot
-
Please visit their website for a complete listing of locations in your area: www.RBRC.org
Recycle Electronics
Unwanted electronics amount to approximately 2 million tons of waste annually and it is unlawful to dispose of them in the municipal trash. Computer monitors and older TV picture tubes alone contain an average of four pounds of lead! Electronics can contain chromium, cadmium, mercury, beryllium, nickel, zinc, and brominated flame retardants. Millions of pounds of steel, glass, and plastic, and precious metals can be recovered by recycling electronics. Recycling also conserves natural resources, avoids the air and water pollution, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing new products.
You can recycle your electronics at the following locations:
OmniSource
1143 Fairview Avenue, Gate #7, Fort Wayne, IN 46803
Phone: (260) 449-7878
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8am until 4:30pm and Saturday: 8am until 12 noon
Small fee applies based on type of electronics recycled
A Plus Computers - Parnell
4730 Parnell Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46825
Phone: 260-482-7899
$5 for monitors, no cost for all other computer components
A Plus Computers - Pine Valley
10250 Coldwater Rd., Fort Wayne, IN 46825
Phone: 260-489-7711
$5 for monitors, no cost for all other computer components
Compost, don't trash yard waste!
- Bio-Solids, Lime & Yard Waste Recycling
- 6202 Lake Avenue; 749-8040
- April 1 through December 1; Monday-Saturday: 8am until 6pm; Sunday: 12 noon until 6pm; Holidays: Closed
- National Serv-All
- 6231 MacBeth Road; 747-4117
- Monday-Friday: 8:00am-5:00pm Saturday: 8am-12pm Sundays & Holidays: Closed
Recycle
- Glass (Clear, Brown, & Green)
- Aluminum Cans
- Steel Food Cans
- Cardboard/Fiberboard
- Newspaper/Magazines
- Junk Mail/Phone Books
- Paper (High Grade & Mixed)
- Plastics #1 & #2
Curb-side or at:
- Sam’s Club 6736 Lima Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46818
- Scott’s Food Store (behind the store) 4120 North Clinton Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46805
- Kroger at Southgate Plaza 281 E. Pettit Ave., Fort Wayne, IN 46806
- United Refuse 5000 Smith Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46804
Hours:
- Monday: 8am-4pm
- Tues. & Wed.: 12pm- 4pm
- Thurs. & Fri.: 9am-5pm
- Saturday: 8am-4pm
- Sunday: Closed
Recyclables can also be dropped off at:
- Serv-All Recycling 4400 New Haven Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46803
- Monday-Friday: 8:30am-4:30pm
- Saturday: 8am-12pm
- Sunday: Closed
Individual Responsibility
- Make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of disposable products you use
- Ask yourself "Do I NEED it?" (i.e. the lights on, surplus office supplies, designer stationary)
- "Swap" unused, duplicated, or seldom used office supplies rather than purchase new
- Pack waste-free lunches with reusable containers (including thermos instead of single use can, bottle, or carton for beverages)
- Minimize transportation to meetings with video conferencing
- Carpool when possible
- Use back-side of single-side used paper for scratch paper
- Do not pour kitchen grease or greasy food scraps down the drain, place them in a secure container and put in the trash.
- Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
- Turn off and unplug electrical devices. Many electrical devices draw power even when they're off.
- Take shorter showers.
- Don't preheat your oven. This is a waste of heat, and is rarely needed. If you're making anything from a casserole to a frozen pizza, you don't need to preheat your oven.
- If you need to warm up small amounts of food, use the microwave. It is much more energy efficient than an oven.
- Check your tire pressure on a weekly basis.
- Avoid aggressive driving which wastes fuel.
- Avoid open burning and limit the use of wood burning fireplaces to special occasions.
- Lock windows at home, they are designed to operate more efficiently that way.
- Replace incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps to save energy.
- Plan your trips
- Walk, bike, or ride a bus
- Weather seal your home or apartment
- Install low flow shower heads
- Manage window coverings
- Replace old appliances with Energy Star rated ones
- Close curtains/drapes or blinds. They reduce heat loss in the winter or heat gain in the summer.
- Invest in a programmable thermostat or adjust the thermostat when you leave the house to prevent over heating/cooling an empty home.
- Empty your vehicles trunk to reduce the weight of the car and save fuel.
- Be involved in "green" events such as Earth Day and Arbor Day activities.
- Let your voice be heard! Do you have ideas on sustainability or know of environmental concerns that should be addressed? Contact your local government representatives.
