The Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County invites residents from Lake, Porter and LaPorte Counties and beyond to connect with the environment through exhibitors, entertainment, collection events and activities featured at the Northwest Indiana Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 16. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Porter County Expo Center, 215 E. Division Rd., Valparaiso. Admission and parking for the event are free. The first 300 families will receive free reusable bags.
Attendees are encouraged to bring used eyeglasses, hearing aids and bicycles to the Celebration, as two non-profit groups are sponsoring collections. The collection for eyeglasses and hearing aids is new this year, backed by the Lions Clubs of District 25A. The clubs recycle these items to change the lives of people in need.
Working Bikes will be back for a second year to top last year’s collection total of 80 bicycles. Attendees who are spring cleaning their garages can donate those unused bikes that are collecting dust. Working Bikes, a Chicago organization, refurbishes and gives bicycles to people in third world countries and to people in transition in Chicago.
The service of document shredding will return after a year hiatus. Visitors can bring their old documents to the Celebration between 9 a.m. and noon to be shredded by Secure Shred. Shredding will not occur on site; instead, thanks to the staff from Metro Recycling, documents will be confidentially collected and transported to Opportunity Enterprises for destruction. Each attendee is asked to limit material to be shredded to two boxes.
Kathy Sipple, founder of CoThrive.org, an online community, and the host of the award-winning podcast 219 GreenConnect, will present “What is a timebank?” and show residents how to get involved at 9:30 a.m. on stage.
Stage shows this year also include Silly Safaris live animal shows at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
“Something ‘Pinteresting’” hands-on activities are planned by the team of the Lake County Solid Waste Management District. Providing usable “stuff” from the ReUz Room in Hammond, the team invites visitors to join them as they direct do-it-yourself projects at both10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The team’s demonstrations shine a spotlight on the return of the Re-Think Art Competition and Exhibition, featuring artwork made out of 100 percent recycled materials. The public is asked to vote on their favorites, and the artists will win cash prizes.
Recycleman will make his Celebration debut. The recycling champion will help others learn how they can also become superheroes!
The School Rain Barrel Design Contest, birdhouse building, Dumpster Drummers and alternate fuel vehicle displays are all popular returning highlights for attendees to enjoy. Preordered and prepaid rain barrels will be available for pickup at the event between 9 a.m. and noon. The last date to place an online order for these upcycled products is April 13. Online ordering is available at www.ItMeansTheWorld.org.
For a complete listing of programs and exhibitors, visit the Recycling and Waste Reduction District of Porter County’s website, www.ItMeanstheWorld.org, or call 219-465-3819 for more information.
The 2016 Northwest Indiana Earth Day Celebration is supported by the following sponsors: NIPSCO, Metro Recycling, NWI Clean Air, Duneland 28, Pratt Industries, Fronius USA LLC, Porter County Expo, Republic Services, Tradebe Environmental Services, and many others.
The Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County is an agency dedicated to improving the environment and quality of life by providing services and educational programs which help residents reduce, reuse, and recycle.
To Find More Events at the Porter County Expo Center, Click HERE
To see Over 35 Photos From Last Year’s Show on Facebook Click HERE
Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
