Start Saving: Free Recycling at April 20 Scarlet, Gray, Green Fair

The fair's new Recycling Station will take old cell phones, worn-out sneakers, plastic grocery bags and more in a ramped-up effort to teach about and help with recycling.

Ohio State University's Allen Zimmerman, chair of the fair's planning committee, said the Recycling Station's goal is to inspire people "to bring reducing, reusing and recycling into their everyday life and community."

The fair takes place April 20 at the university's Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster. "Green is for Life!" is the theme. Admission is free and open to the public.

Some of what's collected can be used again, at least in part. Some of it shouldn't be dumped in the regular trash: It's risky to the environment.

Either way you'll be rid of it, at no cost to you. And you've got lots of time to start saving and sorting it.

What you can bring and who's helping:

* Worn-out sneakers, First Presbyterian Church of Wooster Environmental Justice Team and the College of Wooster Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

* Expandable polystyrene (used in blocks as cushioning inside packages and also as insulation for shipping coolers), First Presbyterian Environmental Justice Team and O'Brien Packaging of North Canton.

* Blue jeans (gently used), Goodwill Industries of Wayne and Holmes Counties.

* Sensitive documents: Bring up to two full boxes for secure shredding by Sanmandy Enterprises of Creston.

* Newsprint and magazines, Sanmandy Enterprises.

* Aluminum cans, Habitat for Humanity in Wayne County.

* Paint (non-lead, non-toxic, still usable), Habitat for Humanity.

* Cell phones, The Wilderness Center, Wilmot.

* Printer ink cartridges, The Wilderness Center.

* Computers and computer accessories, Itran Electronics Recycling of Richfield.

* Compact fluorescent lights and fluorescent tubes, Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network.

* Prescription drugs: Collected by the Medway Drug Enforcement Agency for disposal at a later date following Environmental Protection Agency guidelines. Medway officials suggest removing or blacking out any prescription labels for privacy. Bring unused or out-of-date prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, medication samples, pet medications, vitamins, inhalers, medicated ointments and lotions, and liquid medicines.

Don't bring hazardous materials, needles, thermometers, IV bags, aerosol cans, personal care products, hydrogen peroxide, business waste or bloody infectious waste.

* Plastic grocery bags, Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network, which also will offer reusable grocery bags for a small donation.

* Rechargeable batteries (nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, nickel zinc and small sealed lead), Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network.

For more information, call 330-287-1263 or visit http://www.wcsen.org/wcsggf/.

Hours for the fair are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. OARDC is at 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster. About 1,800 people went to last year's fair.

Coordinating sponsors are Ohio State's College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; three parts of the college - OARDC, Ohio State University Extension and the Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute (Ohio State ATI), also in Wooster; and the Wayne County Sustainable Energy Network.

Zimmerman is a professor of engineering technology and technical physics at Ohio State ATI.