April 22 is Earth Day, and there are a number of ways to observe this holiday here in Hancock County. Your first thought might just be recycling, but there are so many things you can do to celebrate our Mother Earth! Help us make Greenfield a more sustainable community with the tips below. 

Greenfield Banking Community Shred Days

Are you wishing to recycle your old documents but feeling concerned about security? Greenfield Banking Company is sponsoring monthly shred days at their local Hancock County locations from May through October 2022. This free service by GBC has been well-received by the community for more than a decade, starting in 2008. Protect yourself from being part of the roughly 10 million Americans who suffer from identity theft each year, and bring your sensitive documents to a Saturday shred event (9 a.m. – noon). 

  • May 7, 2022: Meridian Road Office
  • June 4, 2022: Cumberland Office
  • June 11, 2022: McCordsville Office
  • July 23, 2022: Fortville Office
  • September 17, 2022: New Palestine Office
  • October 1, 2022: Main Office

Visit one of our local parks

Reconnect with the Earth by taking your family for an outing to one of our beautiful parks or nature reserves. Observe the nature reawakening for spring, take a picnic lunch (and be sure to clean up after yourselves) or complete our nature scavenger hunt

You could also attend an upcoming event from the Greenfield Parks and Rec Department. Their April Art Studio classes are focusing on recycling and repurposing household items and found natural materials into planters, birdhouses and seed paper. The Parks Department is partnering with the Greenfield Birders to host twice-monthly Bird Walks at Beckenholdt Park and Thornwood Nature Preserve through October. And you can also join the Hancock County Master Gardeners in a Wildflower Walk at Thornwood or a Weed Wrangling event to beautify our parks!

Annual Heavy Trash Pick-up in Greenfield

Rather than letting heavy or bulky items clutter our city, Greenfield has scheduled its 40th annual Heavy Trash Pick-up for this April. Residents east of IN-9 (within city limits) should plan to set out their heavy items for pick-up on April 23, and the west side should plan on April 30. 

Make sure to place your items at the curbside by 7 a.m. and no items will be picked up from alleys, businesses, apartments or churches. Trashed paint must be dried out and in an open container. Items including household trash, limbs, tires, oil, batteries, building materials, TVs, computer monitors and basketball goals will not be accepted. 

Plant a tree or flowers

Another way to celebrate Earth Day is to visit a nursery or greenhouse to pick out a new tree, plant, flower or some yummy produce to plant this spring! Some of our favorite local spots include Sunnyside Greenhouse, Wells Nursery and Arcadia Nursery. 

Trees help improve our environment by filtering our air and preventing the effects of climate change. Plants and flowers can also clean the air, as well as help protect our local birds, bees and butterflies. And growing your own produce can help reduce carbon emissions since your food doesn’t have to travel as far to get to your plate. Don’t have room for a garden? Try visiting the Farmers Market at the Fairgrounds, open on first and third Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the offseason and every Saturday and Wednesday May-October. 

Hancock County Solid Waste Management District Collection Events

The Hancock County Solid Waste Management District (HCSWMD) addresses our local waste needs by proactively reducing the amount of waste going to final disposal (landfills and incinerators), and one way they do so is through their special collection events, which accept several things that Heavy Trash Pick-up does not. This spring they will be hosting two opportunities for residents (no businesses) to dispose of unwanted materials that could pose a threat to the environment or themselves. 

  • April 30, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Labcorp (formerly Covance): This event will accept household hazardous waste ($5 per carload), electronics ($5 fee per carload), latex paint ($1 fee for quart size, $2 for gallons, $5 for 5-gallon buckets), document shredding ($3 per box), tires (costs detailed online), expired ​non-perishable food and shoes. No freon appliances can be accepted at this event.
  • May 7, 9 a.m. – noon at New Palestine Town Hall: This event will accept electronics ($5 fee per carload), document shredding (free compliments of the town of New Palestine), expired non-perishable food and shoes. This event will not accept hazardous waste or freon appliances. 

Do you know of a community event to celebrate Earth Day or improve sustainability in Hancock County? Contact us to help update our list!