Celebrating Earth Day in Bay!
On April 22 the Bay Village Green Team will be hosting two events in the Bay Village Police Station parking lot: a Habitat for Humanity collection from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and a shredding day from 9 a.m.-noon. This file photo shows the types of items collected in the past.
On Earth Day, which is Saturday, April 22, this year, the Bay Village Green Team will be hosting two events in the Bay Village Police Station parking lot: a Habitat for Humanity collection from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and a shredding day from 9 a.m.-noon.
The Habitat for Humanity ReStore collects new, used and reclaimed building materials, furniture, appliances, landscaping and more. Please bring unwanted appliances (both large and small), plumbing, cabinets, doors, electronics, flooring, windows, furniture, paint, lighting, lumber and tools to the Bay Village Police Station on April 22 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. There are items that are NOT accepted at this drop-off, including clothing, mattresses, hazardous material, torn or heavily damaged furniture, opened paint or unframed glass. For a complete listing of items that are and are not accepted, please visit clevelandhabitat.org/restore/donations.
The Bay Village Green Team is also hosting a shredding day at the same location, between the hours of 9 a.m.-noon. It is free of charge and there is no limit on the amount of boxes of papers you can bring to shred, and it is encouraged that you let your family and friends in neighboring communities, and even local businesses, know about this opportunity. Please make sure there are no binders, metal hanging files or large metal clips in the material. Cardboard is also accepted; it will be taken to a facility for recycling.
It is environmentally responsible to take part in the shredding day if you need sensitive documents destroyed, as it is all recycled. When you shred documents at home, they are not recyclable curbside and must be discarded with trash. If you are not able to attend on April 22, please know that the UPS Store will shred (and recycle) documents for you. For both the Habitat and shredding collections, the Green Team is looking for volunteers. High school students are welcome, and this will count toward community service hours. Please contact Laura Crabb at 440-823-2750 if you would like to volunteer.
The shredding day is made possible by a grant awarded to the City of Bay Village by the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District, as well as a donation from Creative Wealth Associates.
The Bay Village Green Team is also participating in a Spring Waterways cleanup on Saturday, May 27. This event is co-sponsored by the City of Bay Village and Bay High School’s Project Earth Club with support from the Bay Village Foundation. Volunteers will pick up trash along the Cahoon Creek, Bay Boat Club, Porter Creek, and the Lake Erie waterfront. After winter, there is always a lot of trash to be collected, and it’s important to do so before it gets out into Lake Erie. If you plan to volunteer, please dress for the weather and make sure you wear shoes that you don’t mind getting muddy. The meeting time and location have yet to be announced, so please check the Observer or bayvillagegreenteam.org for updates.
Lastly, I can’t write a column about Earth Day without mentioning EarthFest, put on by the Earth Day Coalition. EarthFest will be held on April 22, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. There will be activities and exhibits, as well as music and food trucks. Guaranteed to be a good time for the whole family! Check out earthdaycoalition.org for more details.
Please make sure you celebrate the Earth this Earth Day! Along with the activities above, there are plenty of things you can do on your own, such as picking up trash in your neighborhood and as you go about your day. This helps prevent plastics from getting into the sewer system and out into the lake, so you can essentially perform a beach cleanup everyday on your own! Happy Earth Day, everyone!