CANCELED. Eau Claire County's biannual bulk item and yard waste removal program is done for the foreseeable future. (Photo via Unsplash)

The Eau Claire County free bulk item and yard waste disposal program has been canceled as of March 18. The biannual event invited haulers from across the county to help residents dispose of items not easily disposable through personal trash cans.

The Eau Claire County Planning and Development group cited the program’s termination as a result of increasing costs of disposal and an effort to reduce landfill-bound waste.

Haulers across the county are offering alternatives for residents to explore due to the program’s cancelation.

GFL Environmental is offering customers one free bulk item drop off at the transfer station on Mondovi Road, Eau Claire, from April 15-19. WM is also expanding their bag pick-up service for a WM bag of waste that can hold up to 3,300 pounds.

Eau Claire and Altoona residents also have access to their respective brush sites to dispose of yard waste. Earthbound Environmental Solutions is also offering more events this year for yard waste disposal.

Taryn Nance, the Area Communications Manager for WM (formally known as Waste Management), said WM is committed to serving Eau Claire with disposal methods and prioritizing safety in the future of disposal after the closure of the program.

“We didn’t know what we were coming to pick up,” Nance said. “If we know what we are coming to pick up, then we are more equipped to pick that up in a safe manner and then we can also better service our customers if we know what we are picking up.”

For residents in Fall Creek, Augusta, and the Village of Fairchild, bulk item and yard waste programs will continue.

For more information on recycling and waste disposal, check out the recycling program portion of the Eau Claire County website under planning and development.