Sometimes, out of nowhere, your fridge decides to stop working. Or your dryer decides to burst into flames. Or your piano is fine, you just don’t want it anymore, and you don’t know what to do with it. It’s tough to know what to do with things, especially if you want to recycle them.
Luckily, the Ferndale Downtown Association hosts an annual clean-up day for primarily Ferndale residents. This year’s Community Clean-Up Day will be held on May 2. It’s their 18th anniversary, making it “our longest-running contribution to the community,” according to Executive Director Tosha Wade. This day isn’t just about cleaning—it’s also a day for recycling, learning how to safely dispose of toxins, and adding to the Ferndale Free Pile, all provided by the association.
Photograph by Tosha Wade
Community Clean-Up Day is primarily a drive-through event and will run from 8 a.m. to noon in downtown Ferndale. The first thing you’ll see when you drive up is the Ferndale Free Pile. Anyone can add to it, and there have been items such as paintings, pieces of furniture, and fun little knick-knacks. Then there’s the metal recycling and trash, meaning anything that can go into the landfill, excluding household trash. They also provide e-recycling, which is any item that plugs in.
If you have an item you’d like to donate or recycle that is too heavy to carry on your own, volunteers are ready and available to help you take it out of your car. Volunteers are always paying attention to items that people would like to recycle, in case an item can be added to the free pile. Wade said that she saved a couple of items last year.
Photograph by Tosha Wade
“I would say [last year] at least 10 to 15 lawn mowers went into the recycling…One of them was a $700 mower. So before he heaved it over the side, I said, ‘Hey, do you know what’s wrong with this?’ And he said it just needed the pull string. So I was like, ‘I’ll take that,’ and I put it in the free pile. No sooner was I parking it there than a gentleman got out of his vehicle, and I said, ‘He says all it needs is a pull string,’ and he’s like, ‘Get the car,’” laughs Wade.
There is no item too big to donate or recycle, but, if possible, Wade would prefer to receive a notice call beforehand.
“[Last year] we had somebody bring a piano. She called me in advance, and if you have something big, it’s nice if you call in advance,” says Wade.
Photograph by Tosha Wade
The association is partnering with the health department to talk about the disposal of toxins, which include lightbulbs, oil, paint, and more. People can’t dispose of any toxic items at Community Clean-Up Day, but there will be flyers available from the health department with more information. The health department employee will also be handing out free trash cans for your car and nets for putting over truck beds, and the association will hand out yard waste vouchers.
If you’d like to help out the community and give back, participate in the Community Clean-up Day! Volunteer time and monetary donations are always welcome and appreciated. Check out the Ferndale Downtown Association’s website for more information! Who knows, maybe you’ll end up snagging a free lawn mower along the way. 2007 Cherry St., Ferndale, 360.223.9117, ferndaledowntown.com
