The appliances are an example. In Wisconsin, the company removes the freon out of the appliances, oil from the compressors, and mercury from the switches, before the appliances are crushed and recycled. Leek did question whether municipalities actually need to take on the additional work of transporting appliances during curb side collection days, since these appliances are currently accepted from residents for no charge at this landfill. Nearby Cedar Rapids has eliminated picking up appliances altogether, in addition to tires, metals, and huge piles of garbage. Instead, the city designates one special day where metals and tires can be taken to a drop-off point.
Residents can take up to three appliances to a designated landfill in the area at no cost.
City employees there have found that simply by scaling back, their operation has become much more manageable than in years past. There are, of course, the obvious and beneficial aspects of annual curb side collections. It will be fun for the whole family when Jocko and the J'S bring their mystical, magical live monkey show to the Lincoln Highway Bridge Festival in Tama the weekend of May 18-19. The monkeys have been raised in Jim and Jan Williamson's home since they were just a few weeks old and are family pets, in addition to entertaining people throughout the country. Jim devotes his time to the care and training of the monkeys and Jan is a retired elementary school teacher.