Waste Not
Back in the mid-1990s, the state of Indiana created solid waste districts in every county as an answer to the fear that we, as a country, would soon run out of landfill space.
Lenn Detwiler, executive director of the Hendricks County Recycling District, recalls national news stories about a trash barge floating out in the ocean, looking for a place to offload. People began getting nervous and looking for solutions.
Indiana’s answer to the problem was to create a local unit of government to help divert waste from the landfills, and Hendricks County joined forces with Morgan, Putnam, Montgomery and Parke counties to form the West Central Indiana Solid Waste District.
Legislation also stipulated that solid waste districts could levy a property tax to fund themselves or charge a final disposal fee at the landfill, and the multi-county organization chose the latter.
“We were funded through a fee assessed at the Twin Bridges Landfill in Hendricks County, and that was all fine and good for about 10 years,” Detwiler says. “Over time, however, there were disagreements on how the money would be spent and who got what. Hendricks County decided to pull out of the multi-county district and create their own, essentially taking the funding source with it. You had Hendricks County leaders, locally elected folks, taking care of their own local population.”
In 2005, the Hendricks County Solid Waste Management District was formed.
In 2020, the name changed again to the Hendricks County Recycling District to better reflect what the organization does and to separate themselves from the Waste Management-owned landfill.
“In Hendricks County, 98% of waste is hauled by your trash company, and there are still some homeowners that haul it themselves, but 70% of the waste that comes to Twin Bridges is still from outside the county. The landfill doesn’t care where it’s coming from,” Detwiler says. “People don’t necessarily want a landfill in their community, but if you have one, you want it to run well, and WM does that. They are a solid company in that regard, and the community is reaping the benefit — and should — because it’s their landfill.”
Trash collections, landfills and financial benefits aside, the Hendricks County Recycling District exists for another purpose — to divert waste from the landfill entirely.
“We focus on the residential homeowner and waste-reduction choices. Use and wash your dishes versus using paper plates, refill your water bottle versus buying plastic water bottles, etc. It’s not always feasible to choose to avoid waste, but when not possible, then let’s recycle what we can,” Detwiler says.
If curbside recycling services are available, Detwiler recommends that process as the most efficient, but the Hendricks County Recycling District also offers three recycling centers in Lizton, Coatesville and North Salem.
The newest development at the recycling centers came in 2023, when the Lizton center reopened with a new attendant-operated center with limited days and hours. Since then, residents in the area have responded well to the new process, and more than 80,000 visits each year speak for themselves.
The organization also operates two yard-waste recycling centers: one in Brownsburg and one in Plainfield, open April through November.
Homeowners that have natural waste, which is banned from the landfill, can bring their bags of leaves, twigs, mulch and more to the yard-waste center, and the number of users continues to grow.
“Between 2005 and 2022, there was one month where we had more than 900 visitors to our yard-waste recycling centers. Since 2023, we’ve had 10 such months, four of those months welcoming more than 1,000 people,” Detwiler says.
He attributes some of the increase to the educational programs the recycling district hosts throughout the year, but also the stipulations WM has put on their waste pickup.
“WM does things differently. They’re concerned about what you’re setting out at the curb. They switched to the automated-arm trucks to protect employees from getting injured by sharp objects in the trash, they don’t pick up bags of yard waste, and I think they appreciate what we’re doing too,” Detwiler says.
Companies across Indiana appreciate it for sure. The materials collected from the three recycling centers head to neighboring counties: a company that recycles cardboard, another that recycles glass, and it’s being used in furniture manufacturing, carpet manufacturing and more.
The Hendricks County Recycling District offers other programs to help residents get rid of unwanted waste. They regularly field calls from residents who have that milk crate in the garage filled with chemicals or an old set of tires, appliance or mattress and don’t know what to do with it.
“We can refer you to the proper company that accepts those items for recycling, and we also offer five Tox-Away Days per year throughout the county. We typically have more than 4,000 people come through these events each year. Since 2005, we’ve seen 69,000 people and 6.5 million pounds of material, including batteries, medications, appliances and other items,” Detwiler says.
There are unwanted medicine disposal boxes placed across the county at the Avon, Brownsburg and Danville police stations and the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office. Not only does the medication not get flushed down the toilet, contaminating waterways, it also cuts down on abuse of prescription medications.
The recycling district also offers grants for organizations across the county interested in adding a water-bottle refill station, recycling bins or other ways to support the recycling efforts.
“One of my favorite examples of this is at the Hendricks County Senior Center. They were using disposable plates and silverware for the meals they offer, and they applied for a grant for durable plates, bowls, mugs and silverware they could wash and reuse,” Detwiler says. “It’s a better experience for the people eating their meal, and it’s not generating all of that waste. Since 2006, we’ve awarded more than $370,000 across the county.”
There are two grant rounds: one in the spring and one in the fall, with $10,000 earmarked for similar projects each year.
Most importantly, the Hendricks County Recycling District simply wants to educate others in best recycling practices. They do that through various programs such as their youth education program in the local school system and even in their newsletter.
“When in doubt, call us. That’s what we’re here for, and sometimes the answer is that needs to go in your normal trash, but if not, we can dispose of it properly,” Detwiler says.
Subscribe to the newsletter and follow the Hendricks County Recycling District’s Facebook page for additional information.
