Pulaski County Recycling and Transfer Station to Raise Fees March 1

Disposing of items at the Pulaski County Recycling and Transfer Station will soon cost a bit more. The county commissioners approved an updated fee schedule last week, at the request of the facility’s manager Brad Bonnell.

Starting March 1, disposal fees will go up by one cent per pound. Any items that transfer station workers deem hard-to-handle, such as boats, hot tubs, long lumber, or construction materials, will be charged at a rate of six cents per pound. The county is also adding a five-dollar surcharge for all bedding mattresses and box springs, in addition to the scale weight.

Commissioner Mike McClure felt the new prices were reasonable. “I think it’s more than realistic because they’ve got to handle them and everything,” he said. “Everything involved with it, I think it’s dirt cheap to get rid of stuff, really.”

Another big change is that the Recycling and Transfer Station will start charging $20 to dispose of each appliance containing Freon, like refrigerators, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Bonnell said there’s currently no charge for that. “The [Northwest Indiana] Solid Waste District would be paying for the equipment to remove the Freon from each appliance,” he added, “and they would also be paying for the disposal fee to get rid of it.” He said that $20 fee would only apply to appliances that contain Freon.