Spring is in the air and so is spring cleaning! As folks tackle annual decluttering jobs, there are always items that can be passed along, reused or recycled. If you’ve been cleaning closets, now is the time to gather your goodies, as the Town and MD of Pincher Creek team up to bring back the Reuse and Recycle Fair.

The event runs Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, at the MD administration building parking lot and eco centre.

The fair provides an opportunity to hand over unwanted household items for possible reuse or for proper disposal. 

“If you’re cleaning out your basement or garage and have unwanted items, rather than disposing of these items at the landfill, bring them to the fair to be recycled,” says Rhonda Oczkowski, recreation programmer for the town.

“Someone else might see your discarded items as a treasure.”

Town and MD staff will act as volunteers to help residents properly dispose of their items and potentially walk away with a hidden gem.

This is the first time the MD is part of the event, which in the past was predominantly looked after by town staff.

“We’re super pleased that the MD will be partnering with us in order to host this,” says Rhonda.

“In the past, we’ve had the fair at the Pincher Creek Co-op parking lot,” she adds. “But this year, we’re moving it to the MD parking lot because they’re straight across from the eco centre, so you can do everything at once.” 

Town and MD staff will be joined by DBS Environmental, an Alberta-based company that provides waste-management solutions. DBS will assist locals with household hazardous waste, which may otherwise be difficult to dispose of properly. 

This provides an opportunity to get rid of hazardous items such as paints, batteries, sprays, cleaners and much more.

The Pincher Planters will also be at the fair doing a plant exchange. If you’re looking to pick up a new plant or drop one off, this is a great chance to do so.

The Lions club is expected to have representatives on-site with a drop-off station where they will accept glasses, cellphones and hearing aids.

This year marks the fair’s long-awaited return after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

According to Rhonda, the town received multiple calls from residents interested in bringing the fair back, so it seemed like a no-brainer for the town and MD.

Rhonda also noted that the fair provides an environmentally responsible way to manage disposal rather than having things end up in the landfill.

Items left at the end of the day will be disposed of in an appropriate manner.

Folks are asked to not show up before the 10 a.m. start time, to ensure that volunteers can properly set up to run the event safely and smoothly. 

Residents are expected to use their better judgement to differentiate what can be reused and what is hazardous waste.

The following is a list of household hazardous waste commonly taken to waste collection sites that can be brought to the Reuse and Recycle Fair for safe disposal:

—Abrasive Cleaners

—Acetone

—Aerosol paints and sprays 

—Air freshener (aerosol)

—All-purpose cleaners (solvent-
ased)

—Ammonia

—Ant/wasp spray

—Antifreeze

—Autobody filler

—Barbecue starters

—Bleach

—Brake and transmission fluid

—Butane refills

—Carbon tetrachloride

—Car (lead-acid) batteries

—Car waxes and polishes
solvent and water based)

—Contract cement

—Degreasers (petroleum based)

—Disinfectants

—Drain cleaners

—Fabric softeners

—Floor wax strippers

—Hair sprays (aerosol)

—Insecticides

—Kerosene

—Laundry starch

—Laundry stain removers

—Lighter fluid

—Liquid cleaners

—Lye

—Mildew removers

—Muriatic acid

—Nail polish and remover

—Oven cleaners

—Paint thinners and strippers

—Paints (oil and water based)

—Photographic chemicals

—Propane gas cylinder
recyclable)

—Rubbing alcohol

—Septic tank degreaser

—Shoe polish

—Silver and brass polish

—Solvents, turpentine, varnish,
acquers

—Spot remover

—Spa and pool chemicals

—Toilet cleaner

—Tub and tile cleaners

—Used oil (where recycling is not
vailable)

—Weed killers

—Windshield washer solution
ontaining methyl alcohol

—Wood preservative