Grand Forks residents can get rid of unwanted household items free of charge next week.
The city’s annual Clean-Up Week is Sept. 14-18, and residents can place a “household quantity” of items -- a few pieces of furniture, an appliance or two, some brush or branch clippings, bags or boxes of miscellaneous items and car tires, -- in the spot they normally place their garbage by 7 a.m. on their regularly scheduled garbage collection day.
And the Grand Forks Landfill, 2701 N. 69th St., is set to have extended hours that week. Residents can bring similarly sized quantities of refuse there for free from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Last year, Grand Forks sanitation workers picked up nearly 900 tons of tossed-out items placed on residents' berms. Another 42.2 tons of trash were taken directly to the city landfill by people who decided to do it themselves. John Bernstrom, a public information officer for the city, said he isn't sure if this year's total would top those figures.
"That's interesting; I don't know." Bernstorm said, in a Tuesday phone call with the Herald. "In May, we did a free dropoff at the landfill, and nearly 250 tons of stuff was dropped off. Does that mean there's less stuff to be put out? I'm not sure."
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Out of concern for COVID-19, city staff have asked residents to help neighbors and city workers stay safe by limiting the amount of items they place on the curb for pickup, avoid combing through other people’s items and allow city crews room to work.
People who live in apartments are asked to put their unwanted items on the berm next to the street and not adjacent to the receptacles, where they would normally dump their trash.
The city will not take “commercial” quantities of junk and trash from large residential construction projects. Also, Clean-Up Week is not intended for tree removal or disposing of hazardous materials.
For more information and answers to some frequently asked questions, visit: https://www.grandforksgov.com/government/city-departments/public-works/clean-up-week
