Will you take it or leave it, or throw it away?

As the snow melts away, spring yard projects begin for many Whitecourt residents. Whether fixing their decks, removing unwanted decorations from the previous season, removing, or adding flower beds and gardens, replacing an old shed, or sorting broken, unusable items into a throw-away pile, the clean-up that comes with spring typically results in a pile of garbage or unwanted items.

To help residents with their spring cleaning projects, the Town of Whitecourt is once again offering free dump days. Ahead of that, they are helping initiate a community-wide opportunity to collect items that others no longer want. The Take It or Leave It Campaign will run Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7, to help keep still-usable things out of the landfill. To take part, residents must place items they no longer want at the front of their property, near the curb. Adding a sign that says “free” also helps.

Things like extra pots for gardening, old tables and chairs, cabinets that need a layer of paint, old tools, children’s toys, books, unused exercise equipment, miscellaneous odds and ends from home repair, old barbecues, tires, or even older appliances can get a new life through a new owner. Almost anything can be part of the Take It Or Leave It weekend as long as the remaining items are removed from lawns by Monday, May 8.

For resident Shannon Fluney, the Take It or Leave It event proved handy a couple of years ago for her friend, who scored some items for her dining room. “My friend needed to get new chairs for her dining room since hers were getting old and two were broken. We talked about the Take It Or Leave It event happening that weekend and joked that maybe she could find chairs on someone’s lawn. And then she actually did,” chuckled Fluney. “She drove around with her husband and spotted four chairs that matched her existing table. When you’ve got small kids, you need chairs around the table. So, that worked out great for her.”

Fluney said she liked that the event was community-wide because it was fun to drive around and see what’s out there. “I think it’s a great option for people to get rid of stuff they aren’t using without being wasteful because you never know who’s looking for something to reuse. People repaint cabinets and desks and tables all the time. You might think no one would want it but you might be surprised.”

Resident Ashley Rose said her children loved the event. “We found a little plastic Adirondack chair and a plastic slide one year.” The two toys might’ve just been tossed otherwise but saw new life with new owners instead of heading to the landfill. She said people could walk through their neighbourhoods to see what their neighbours have put out but said to keep a vehicle handy in case they find something they can’t carry home. “It’s awesome! And why not? Better than hauling it off to the dump.”

After the Take it Or Leave It weekend, residents will have a free week to bring their garbage to the Whitecourt Regional Landfill. “It’s a good way to clean the yard and get rid of anything we forgot to deal with in the fall. It’s also nice if we have bigger items to get rid of that might’ve cost us something to throw away any other time of the year,” said Fluney. “I appreciate the chance to do it for free.”

From Tuesday, May 9 to Saturday, May 13, residents can dispose of trash free from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. Appropriate footwear is encouraged so residents can safely place their garbage in designated areas set up by staff. The free event is for residential customers, not industrial or commercial ones. Woodlands County residents will have their free event later in May.

Residents can throw out almost anything from electronics to bicycles, car parts, televisions, dishwashers, fridges, stoves, filing cabinets, glass, drained small lawnmowers, toilets, drywall, treated wood, tires without rims, couches, and beds. Though the list of what’s accepted is quite long and extensive, some items cannot be dumped at the Whitecourt Regional Landfill. Thankfully, residents have options.

Compact Fluorescent light bulbs, weed-free compostable materials like grass clippings and leaves, and hazardous waste like aerosols, chemicals, fertilizer, and paint can be brought to the Transfer Station. Residents with concrete to dispose of can do so at the Whitecourt Public Works shop for a nominal fee, and those with household batteries can dispose of them at Whitecourt Staples, providing they are bagged. Residents with questions are encouraged to call the Town Office.