Boone County Solid Waste District reports 8,433 pairs collected; schedules toxic-drop April 26 and spring litter cleanup May 1–3

Jennifer Lawrence, executive director of the Boone County Solid Waste District, said the district collected 8,433 pairs of shoes this year and has diverted tens of thousands of pairs from the landfill through a long-running reuse program.

"This was our thirteenth year for the collection. And this year, we collected 8,433 pairs of shoes. And I'm happy to announce that through the generosity of Boone County, we have given over 80,000 pairs of shoes over the last 13 years," Lawrence said on the Love and Lebanon podcast.

The shoe collection is one of several seasonal programs the district runs to keep materials out of landfills and help residents in need. Lawrence said most reusable shoes are processed by Changing Footprints, a Central Indiana volunteer nonprofit, and that roughly 85% of shoes suitable for reuse remain in Central Indiana. Shoes that cannot be reused are recycled through Nike's regrind program at a facility in Lebanon's business park, and a small portion that cannot be reused or recycled is disposed of.

Lawrence described logistics for this year's drive: the district ran 27 collection sites and used a rented U-Haul to pick up donations. Western Boone High School has repeatedly been the top collector and receives a recycled-plastic bench as an award.

The district also announced a toxic-drop collection for residents on April 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Boone County Highway Department. Lawrence said most materials collected go to hazardous-waste contractors and that many items are recycled; truly hazardous items are sent to special hazardous-waste landfills. "The materials we do collect, that goes on to a hazardous waste contractor. Many of the items are actually recycled," she said.

Boone County residents may bring common household hazardous items, including pool chemicals, vehicle fluids, fire extinguishers, lawn chemicals, aerosols, oil-based paints and stains; lithium-ion batteries and vape devices are now accepted. Lawrence advised that latex (water-based) paint is not accepted at the toxic-drop event. Electronics related to computers and televisions are accepted; the district charges $20 per television to offset dismantling costs. The district will accept up to eight vehicle or truck tires this spring, up from four, a limit Lawrence said was raised after the district received a grant from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Lawrence encouraged residents to reduce and reuse before recycling and said reuse programs — such as donating shoes to meet needs for school concerts, prom, sports and outreach by local police — are central to the district's mission. "The reuse opportunities are endless with this project," she said.

On volunteer efforts, the district's spring litter cleanup will run May 1–3; teams may be as small as one person or as large as needed and must register by April 7. Lawrence said the cleanup period is flexible to accommodate volunteers and that the district supplies trash grabbers and safety vests for groups year-round. Last year, about 440 volunteers participated across the three-day period; the district is aiming for roughly 450 to 500 volunteers this year.

Joe LePage, communications and community development director for the City of Lebanon and the episode host, noted the range of seasonal services the district provides and said he would link details on the podcast page.

No formal votes or government actions were recorded during the podcast episode; the discussion was informational and focused on the district's programs and upcoming events.

For more information, Lawrence said residents should consult the Boone County Solid Waste District website for lists of accepted materials, registration instructions and any fees (televisions) or limits (tires).