Spring Cleaning in the fall with Sani 2

The people of Baldwin journeyed through the rain this weekend to clear their homes of clutter and waste.

Sanitary District Number 2 held another Shed-the-Meds document shredding, medicine disposal, and e-cycle drop off event this Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sanitation district Number 2 garage located on 2080 Grand Avenue.

Baldwin residents like Carolan Minton, came down to the event to dispose of her waste, as she’s done many times in the past. She said she found out about the event on Sanitation District 2’s Facebook page and made her way down to the event, in a car stocked with disposable waste.

“They do this event all the time, a couple of times a year, and I’ve never missed one,” said Minton. “I typically bring medication and my old sensitive documents to be shredded.”

Minton said she looks forward to the Shred-the-Med events because it gives her a chance to clean up and remove the clutter from her house. She said the rain didn’t stop her from coming out — she had this day marked on the calendar, filled her car with prepared bags of waste and came out to dispose of it.

“I like watching my stuff get shredded on the screen, because it makes me feel that my stuffs really being disposed of,” said Minton.

John Cools, chairman of the board of commissioners, said Shred-the-Meds was one of the first events of its kind in the Town of Hempstead, 12 years running.

“Sani 2 leads the way,” said Cools. “We tend to start programs and the town usually follows.”

Cools said this event, like others was adopted by the Town of Hempstead after successfully running the event themselves. He said Sanitation District Number 2 started the first recycling program in the town of Hempstead.

“We made a recycling truck, using scrap parts and the body of a regular garbage truck,” said Cools.

Cools said the Town of Hempstead has since adopted a number of Sanitation District Number 2’s initiatives.

“We’re not copy cats around here,” said Leroy Roberts, a Sanitation District Number 2 commissioner.

Roberts said he spearheaded the removal of graffiti around residential and commercial zones in Baldwin, prompting the Town of Hempstead adopt their own. Similarly, he said Sanitation District Number 2 used to sweep and clear debris from the streets prior to Memorial Day parade, which was made obsolete when the Town of Hempstead started their own street sweeping.

This year the event was co-sponsored by Assemblywoman Mule, and Legislator Judy Griffin, in tandem with the Town of Hempstead Employees Federal Credit Union and the Baldwin Council Against Drug Abuse. 

Their sponsorships help contract Data-struction, Inc., an on-site shredding company, and witness burn medical waste at Covanta, an industrial waste management and energy company.

“This is a great opportunity to safely and securely dispose of unwanted documents, medications and electronic waste,” said Mule’. “The best part is you can do all of this without even getting out of your car.”

Sanitation District 2 said the next Shred-the-Meds event would be held in April of 2023.