justin.schneider@heraldbulletin.com

Cleaning up Anderson’s image means more than merely collecting trash.

It means fostering participation, forging new partnerships.

Anderson’s Citywide Spring Cleanup on Saturday took a multi-faceted approach to cleaning up the city’s image.

For starters, Kim Townsend of Anderson Community Development said more people participated in the cleanup than ever before.

“We’re going to have a record-breaking number of volunteers,” she said. “We’ve got three churches bringing 50 apiece to go along with youth groups and local civic organizations. So many people want to participate.”

The citywide cleanup began as the Westside Neighborhood Cleanup, organized 22 years ago by the Rev. J.T. Menifee. Since then, the cleanup program has expanded to include all of Anderson.

Saturday’s cleanup, which lasted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., saw the responsible disposal of hazardous materials, a green-minded treatment of organic matter and a planting of seeds for the future.

Townsend said volunteers planted 10 trees along Third Street between John and Jackson streets, strengthening Anderson as a recognized “tree city.” Another group of volunteers coordinated with the Anderson Fire Department to scrape and repaint city fire hydrants using a color-coded system.

The Anderson Street Department collected addresses all week for pickup of heavy items, and the list grew longer as Saturday wore on.

Over at the city Yard and Garden Recycling Center, 2000 W. 8th St., yard waste including tree limbs and shrubbery was accepted at no charge. Anderson also set up a free collection site at Athletic Park, where waste materials of all kinds were deposited in 20 Dumpsters, provided by Best Way Disposal.

Appliances including dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines were dropped off at a designated location, while truckloads of used tires were taken to another area.

Robert Himes heard of the collection from a friend and made the trip from Ridgeville, east of Muncie.

“My dad’s got around 200 tires,” Himes said, his black Ford Ranger waiting to unload. “He collects trash. He grew up in the Depression so he doesn’t throw anything away.”

Himes said he used to take tires to a collection center in Muncie, but the facility is no longer open.

Even the Dumpster-stuffing at Athletic Park was new and improved.

For the first time, Townsend said, a professional vendor was brought in to handle hazardous household waste. Safety Kleen occupied the southeast corner of Athletic Park, collecting the nastiest of waste materials Anderson residents had on hand.

Mike Driver, industrial sales manager for Safety Kleen, said toxic materials were separated by category: acids, bases, aerosols, flammable liquids, pesticide solids, pesticide liquids and oxidizers. The categories reflect the amount of British thermal units — Btu, a unit of energy — contained in each material.

“We use high-Btu materials to incinerate low-Btu materials,” said Driver, whose team included several handlers and two chemists. “What that does is create inert ash. Nothing goes into a landfill.”

The most commonly collected substance was paint, but oil, caulk, gasoline and kerosene were also gathered. Established in 1968, Safety Kleen has worked with Madison County businesses for years. Now the company will use its expertise to benefit the general population of Anderson.

“Another thing we do that everyone can get behind is collect used oil and recycle it,” Driver said. “We take used oil and re-refine, the same way they do with crude oil. That reduces our dependence on foreign oil. The city is footing the bill for this, so they want to get the most out of it.”

The Citywide Spring Cleanup capped a week of tidying up for the city, a process which began with a press conference from Anderson Mayor Kevin Smith on Tuesday.

The Chamber of Commerce for Anderson and Madison County conducted its annual Downtown Clean Up on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the city continues to solicit sponsors for its Anderson in Bloom program, which will install more than 100 hanging flower baskets for display downtown and on four bridges over the White River. Baskets cost $75 each.

By diversifying its efforts and bringing new voices into the fold, Kim Townsend said, Anderson is finding more success than ever at cleanups.

“We’ve really stepped it up a notch,” Townsend said. “We’re starting to make some serious headway.”