SRPMIC Helps Clean Planet Earth with Fall Overhaul and Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Days

By Juan Ysaguirre

On October 18 and 19, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community did its part in ensuring Mother Earth remains free and clear of manmade pollutants by hosting two events on consecutive days, the Fall Overhaul and a Household Hazardous Waste Recycling Day and shredding event.

The events were a collaboration between the SRPMIC Community Development Department (CDD) and the Environmental Protection and Natural Resources (EPNR) Department.

Fall Overhaul

Considered an extension of Earth Day by the SRPMIC, Fall Overhaul is a massive community service project held every October. This year’s event featured various groups of Community members and staff working together to boost camaraderie while helping to clean up Mother Earth.

Some groups participated in roadside cleanups, others traveled to the Community Garden for planting and maintenance, while volunteers with physical challenges created arts and crafts at the limited mobility station.

SRPMIC Fire Captain Robert Scabby provided the volunteers with a few words regarding safety before everyone went to their clean-up stations. “This is a team effort, so do not overextend yourself. Ask for help,” said Scabby. He also advised everyone to keep an eye out for critters and insects as they helped clean up different areas of the Community.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection and Shredding Event

Household hazardous waste (HHW) is defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as products that can catch fire, react or explode under certain circumstances. Additionally, materials that are corrosive or toxic are also considered household hazardous waste.

The average U.S. household generates more than 20 pounds of HHW per year, while as much as 100 pounds of HHW remain in the home inside of garages, attics and crawlspaces.

Vehicle tires, drain openers, degreasers, paint thinner, herbicides, adhesives, fire starter fluids and oven cleaners are just a few examples of some of the HHW items SRPMIC members and staff dropped off during the October 19 Household Hazardous Waste recycling event. Staff from Environmental Response Inc., a full-service remediation and decontamination organization based in Tempe, ensured all items were correctly disposed of.

“We had 150 cars at the event,” said Jeremy Phillips, SRPMIC senior environmental engineer. “We also had 28 seniors drop off items at the HHW event.”

American Shredding, a Mesa-based company, was on-site to shred all sensitive and confidential documents dropped off by Community members and employees. The documents received were fed into the shredding truck, which obliterated the documents safely and securely.