Upcoming Dates for Upcycle & Junk Days in Wyoming

Written by Rob Shimp and Patrick Walker

Upcycle Your Junk Game Plan

As members of Wyoming’s Environmental Stewardship Commission (ESC), our mission is to advise and help city council fulfill the Wyoming Master Plan’s “Ecological and Sustainability” objectives, specifically, helping ensure that Wyoming continues to “act as a leader in the region for sustainable best practices.”  This includes investigating ways to further expand city recycling programs, and exploring other methods to reduce trash going to landfill.  Here’s a link to the Master Plan for the details:  https://www.wyomingohio.gov/285/Ten-Year-Master-Plan; Page 99. 

ESC’s work includes managing:   Upcycle Day; Green Business Awards and Green Your School contests; and the food waste composting and electronics recycling center drop off center at Oak Park.  For 2025, We have several exciting updates coming to Upcycle Day, and an exciting change for Junk Day. 

Upcycle Day: April 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For the last five years, ESC has invited recycling vendors to Oak Park for a day when residents can drop off reusable/recyclable materials.  Upcycle Day was originally created to divert waste from Junk Day, and has diverted over 75 tons of material.  It has also become a bit of an Earth Day Celebration. Saving items from landfill and using them for good helps stimulate the economy and stimulate livelihoods.  It also helps reduce our community’s carbon footprint.  

This year, ESC has partnered with Wyoming City Schools to move Upcycle Day from Oak Park to the Wyoming Middle School parking area.  This year’s date is Saturday April 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m..  This new location will increase the event’s size and scope, reaching more residents.  The main collection area will be along the Middle School’s drop off lanes (enter from Wyoming Avenue). 

Wyoming Community Food Drive is also combining forces with us this year. Their collection spot will be featured near the entrance to Upcycle Day.  In the past four years, the Wyoming Community has donated about 25,000 meals to Valley Interfaith Community Resource Center. Around 30 Wyoming residents volunteer to pass out food collection bags to most single family homes in Wyoming and then collect those bags full of food the day of the event. Roughly one in four houses donate every year. Residents are encouraged to donate canned vegetables or fruit, canned soups/chili, pasta, PB&J, cereal, canned tuna or chicken, chicken broth, boxed mac and cheese, and any other unopened, non-perishable food. Plus, any large drawstring trash bags.

Here’s the short list of the items our partners will be collecting:

(Look for the Upcycle Day promotional flyer for more detail.)  

• Food:
  • Wyoming Community Food Drive (https://www.vicrc.org/)
• Batteries:
  • Spring Valley Bank (https://www.springvalleybank.com/)
• Building materials:
  • Cincinnati ReUse Center (https://www.reusecenters.org). 
• Electronics:
  • REBOOT Electronics Reuse and Recycling (https://www.rebootrecyclers.com).
• Furniture and Household Items:
  • New Life Furniture (https://nlfurniture.org). 
  • Goodwill (https://www.cincinnatigoodwill.org/centers/tri-county-goodwill-store/). 

• Cigarette butts, Other small waste products, and packaging:
  • Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub:  (https://www.cincinnatirecyclingandreusehub.org).
• Books and Media:
  • Friends of the Public Library of Cincinnati (https://www.cincylibraryfriends.org/)
• Prescription OTC medication:
  • Wyoming Police Department (https://wyomingohio.gov/173/Police-Department)
• Hazardous Waste:
  • Hamilton County Resource (https://hamiltoncountyresource.org/)

In addition to our regular collecting event; we are leaning into the idea of an Earth Day Celebration. The adjoining business lot , along Springfield Pike, will feature some music and approximately 30 other vendors (local nonprofits, green businesses, and Upcycle artists.) Mr. Roger’s is known for saying, “Look for the Helpers.” Well, this is a day for them.  A lot of our planning has revolved around incorporating people that do good works in our community.  

Junk Day: Saturday, April 12

Junk Day has been a community-wide event in Wyoming for many years. This year, Junk Day is scheduled on April 12. However, instead of Rumpke, we will be using “Junk King.”  This will enable more of our waste to avoid landfill, since Junk King reuses, recycles, or donates approximately 60% of what they haul away.  

As in the past, residents should put stuff at the curb in the days leading up to April 12. However, please be aware that collection will probably take longer on Saturday. This is a new event for Junk King, and they will need to roughly sort materials as they load their trucks.  There may be a learning curve to it all, but please be assured that they will get to everyone’s street.

Here’s a list of the materials Junk King will collect and recycle: styrofoam (no longer collected at Upcycle Day; please put in trash bags); cardboard/magazines/books; shredded papers (please enclose in boxes or bags); carpet padding; electronics; tires (no longer collecting at Upcycle Day due to location restrictions); latex paint (no longer collecting at Upcycle Day due to location restrictions); wood; freon-containing appliances (e.g., window AC units and refrigerators); christmas lights; furniture; clothing; and handicap equipment.  

Junk King will not accept hazardous or flammable materials (these will be accepted at Upcycle Day). They will also not take large items such as sheds, playsets, and hot tubs.  You may contact Junk King directly at 513-771-5865, to discuss separate pick-up and rates for those items.    

But Wait – There’s More!

Let me close with a few other things you might want to know about how to reduce your trash going to landfills:

• When getting rid of useful items, offer them to a neighbor first. Social media (e.g., Facebook Freebox or marketplace for 0$, or Nextdoor) is great for this.  Or for a low-tech option, just set useful items at the curb with a post-it note saying “free to a good home.”  Trash pickers and metal collectors look for items year round.
• Visit the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub. They offer a “one stop” drop-off location for a wide variety of materials at 911 Williams Street. Learn more here.
• Check out the Hamilton County “R3Source” website: This is a county government site where you can type in what you are trying to get rid of, they will tell you who will accept it. Learn more here.
• Single large items like furniture or mattresses can still be taken during Rumpke’s weekly trash pick-up. Details can be found on the Wyoming city site here.

Thank you to the ESC for making Wyoming, and our planet, a better place!