By Herald Staff

The Dubois County Solid Waste Management District has some new fees for added services, and has an updated fee structure on some existing services. These fees were approved by the district's board in December for 2021, but will not go into effect until Feb. 1, 2021.

In 2020, the SWMD received a grant from the Recycling Market and Development Program, through the Indiana Department of Environmental Management for the new Freon Ranch at the Process Center. This grant allows the district to now safely accept refrigerant-based appliances from residents, legally recover the refrigerant in them and recycle those appliances. In order to offer the best service for residents, the district has started accepting all appliances, large and small, for recycling. These items are accepted from residents, not businesses, and unloading assistance is not available, although an appliance dolly and manual lifts are available on site.

Below are the fees at the Process Center for appliances:

Refrigerant appliances (Freon Ranch):

• Large/medium fridge, freezers, window AC units - $20

• Small, dorm-size fridge, dehumidifiers, etc. - $10

Non-refrigerant appliances:

• Large/medium appliances (stoves, water heaters, etc.) - $5

• Small appliances (vacuum, fan, landline phone, microwave, etc.) - $1 each

The district has also seen the need to adjust some other fees at the Process Center. These fees will help the SWMD break even on the large item dumpster at the Process Center site. It also allows fees and services to be more comparable to fees charged for items at the Ferdinand Drop Site Large Item Dumpster ($12) and city of Jasper bulky item pick up (eight stickers).

• Couch, $12; sleeper, $15; mattress or box springs, $12 (twin $6)

• Stuffed chair/recliner/medium furniture, $6; carpeting, $12 (up to 16x16 room)

• Drywall, plaster, heavy wood: truckloads discouraged; loads to be sent to landfill

The SWMD Process Center accepts many items not listed here, including all electronics, household hazardous waste (chemicals, paints), cooking oil, batteries and more. Most items do require a user fee. For details, visit the district's website at www.duboiscountyrecyles.org.

The district’s Process Center is located at 1103 South 350 West, just outside of Jasper. Regular hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Process Center is open one Saturday a month from March through November. Individuals can call the office at 812-482-7865 or check out its Facebook page or www.duboiscountyrecycles.org for additional information on district services.