Centre County recycling authority schedules hazardous-waste collection, tire event and honors 35-year leader

Amy Sherf of the Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority told the Board of Commissioners on April 8 that the authority’s annual household hazardous waste collection will be held Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26 and that residents must register online for a time slot. “We’re about 650 registrations right now out of 1,200,” Sherf said, urging people to use the authority’s website to reserve a time window. Sherf listed commonly accepted items as chemicals, flammables, oil‑based paints, antifreeze and fertilizer and said some items — including tires and explosives — are not accepted at the hazardous‑waste event.

The authority also announced a separate tire-collection event on May 3 for Centre County residents; participants may bring up to 12 tires at no charge, Sherf said. Registration for the hazardous‑waste events is available via the authority’s website (search “Centre County Recycling”). Sherf said an email address and name are required at sign-up to notify registrants if an event must be canceled or changed.

Commissioners and recycling board members used the visit to present a certificate and to recognize an authority leader’s 35 years of service. Denny, identified during the meeting as chair of the recycling board, and others praised the authority’s operations, tours and outreach. Speakers described recent and planned operational improvements, including installing solar panels on three buildings that are expected to generate about 30% of the facility’s electricity and a plan to grind collected glass on-site for sale to glass manufacturers.

Officials described volume and market changes at the transfer station. One speaker said annual tonnage routed through the transfer station rose from roughly 60,000–65,000 tons in earlier years to “pushing 100, 115 thousand” tons recently, a shift attributed to growth and to construction and demolition debris. Recycling composition has changed as well: speakers noted plastics have become lighter and more numerous, requiring different baler technology and adjustments in sorting; one speaker said it now takes about 80,000 plastic bottles to make a ton compared with about 40,000 earlier.

Staff flagged day‑to‑day operational challenges: large numbers of small green disposable propane canisters that cannot be crushed and must be safely evacuated, and sorting complications when products combine plastics and aluminum (for example, beverage cans with plastic inserts). Speakers said the authority is working with vendors on technical solutions, including a Michigan firm that will develop a way to evacuate and render green canisters crushable.

Board members and recycling staff also raised plans and constraints: officials discussed possible property needs to expand the transfer station, local glass‑grinding plans with downstream buyers, the authority’s pilot or ongoing work on organics and a biogas digester under development by the local sewer authority. Speakers said market and tariff changes for imported equipment could affect future purchases for sorting automation and balers.

The presentations closed with commissioners thanking the authority for education and operational work, and for outreach such as school tours. The board did not take formal policy action in this presentation beyond recognizing the authority and promoting the two upcoming collection events.