Yelm Public Services hosts annual community spring cleanup event

More than 100 households flocked to the Yelm Public Services Department to unload excess garbage and recycling in its free spring cleanup event on Saturday, May 18.

Throughout the day, 11 20-yard dumpsters were filled with items such as furniture, yard waste, garage and household items, toys, mattresses, appliances, cardboard and more. Since Yelm does not have its own dump, the event gave residents an opportunity to dispose of items that could not be included in their weekly garbage collection.

“It’s an opportunity for the residents within the City of Yelm to have that one time of year where they can come get rid of their spring garbage and get a fresh start before summer begins,” said Dean Norton, Yelm Public Services Department operations manager. “This wasn’t meant for your actual household garbage. It’s more for your outdoor stuff and couches that you’ve been wanting to get rid of. It gets pretty expensive to get rid of, so this offers a great resort for people that can just get it done and don’t have to worry about the cost of it.”

In order for people to participate, they were required to bring their water bill and identification, and once they arrived at the dumpsters, employees helped them unload their garbage. City employees also traveled around town to transport garbage and recycling for elderly or disabled residents.

According to Norton and Public Services Director Cody Colt, the event will be even bigger next year. Colt said the department is looking to expand the spring cleanup to include people with a 98597 zip code. Norton added that the department wants to spread the word sooner and more efficiently so that residents aren’t forced to drive to Lacey or Rainier for the closest dumps.

“We plan on doing it again next year in about the same timeframe. Next year will look a little bit different as far as how we get the flier out and the verbiage on the flier,” Norton said. “We will probably change that up a little bit just to make it more user-friendly for people.”