Talking trash in Brandon Township

In just 12 hours Brandon Township residents were able to clear their homes, garages, yards and property of 3,370 yards of unwanted debris — debris that will not find its way to area roadsides.
Everything from sofas to snowmobiles and speedboats, to campers, car parts and general crud were pitched during the township’s annual Spring Cleanup. This year, as in past, the drop off was at Brandon High School’s parking lot. Residents could dump their stuff from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both Saturday, April 24 and May 1.
According to Patricia Wallace of Averill Refuse & Recycling of Flint, township trash filled up over 112, 30 yard dumpsters. Averill has been the annual Dump Days contractor since 1999. This year the township budgeted $45,000 for the cleanup, but only had to spend just over $41,000. Averill had about 30 people helping resident unload their cars, trucks and trailers.
‘I have nothing but praise for Averill. They are a good group,? Brandon Township Supervisor Ron Lapp said. ‘They’re on-site on time. They have plenty of workers and they’re efficient.?
Lapp said the township has sponsored the annual cleanup for at least 10 years. ‘It’s been areal success and a benefit to the community.?
Lapp said the majority of the township roads are dirt and some have become dumping grounds. ‘It’s more expensive for taxpayers to have us pickup what’s dumped on the side of the road,? Lapp said. ‘We have to physically remove it — a lot of the times that’s me — hire somebody to haul and if it has Freon, pay to have that removed.?
Lapp was on-site for the first day of the cleanup, but out of town for the last day. He said he didn’t know the exact number of cars that went through, but there were a lot. Wallace agreed.
‘I think we had more drop-offs this year,? she said. ‘The first Saturday this year was record-breaking. It was nonstop, with people lined-up around the building. Last Saturday (May 1) was more like normal — where it is constant, but with a break here and there.?
A breakdown of the majority of the trash hauled away looks like this: (One load equals one, 30-yard dumpster)
n 35 loads of metal
n 35 mixed loads
n 22 ‘rear-load? residential garbage trucks
n 20 loads of wood
n 500 tires
n Over 170 refrigerators and freezers

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