Public Works, Explained — Solid Waste, Recycling & Code Enforcement in Hardin County

Some of the most useful county information is the everyday kind — who picks up your trash, what you can actually drop at a recycling trailer, and who to call when the abandoned house down the road becomes a hazard. This month on Hardin Local with Hardin County Government, host Phil Taul sat down with the Public Works team: Jonathan from Solid Waste, code enforcement officer Wally Skaggs, and county communications officer Brian Walker.

A new garbage hauler — if your cans are orange

Garbage collection in the unincorporated areas changed hands: Platform Waste Solutions is now Unified Disposal Partners. The simplest way to know if this affects you — look at your cans. If they're orange, it applies to you.

For residents, almost nothing changes. Same pickup days, same fees, same phone number: 270-769-0211. The one update is the email address, now [email protected]. With the transition, the company is auditing accounts, so it's worth confirming you're billed for the right number of cans (two come with service; extras carry a fee).

Got a mattress or other oversized item? Don't just set it at the curb — call or email to schedule a bulk pickup. Unscheduled items won't be collected. (A handy tip from the show: save the plastic your new mattress came in and wrap the old one in it.)

What belongs in the recycling trailers — and what doesn't

The county has seven unstaffed recycling trailers, open 24/7. They accept a specific, short list:

• Rinsed #1 and #2 plastics
• Non-greasy cardboard
• Rinsed tin and steel cans
• Regular printer paper and newspapers

Everything else — glass, magazines, pallets, wood, tires, ironing boards — does not belong there. Glass isn't accepted because there's no way to process it regionally and broken glass is a hazard. And two repeated asks from the team:

• Don't bag your recyclables. Empty them into the bins and take your bag with you.
• Take it inside the trailer. Items left at the door blow across the lot and block the next person — and leaving unaccepted items there is illegal dumping that can earn a ticket.

One thing that surprised us: the county owns the landfill but doesn't run it — a private contractor operates it. As Brian put it, you want sanitation professionals running a landfill.

Be a Litter Hero

The county's Litter Hero program is a simple one: go pick up litter, snap a photo of yourself with your bag, and you'll get a shout-out on the county's social media plus a Solid Waste goody bag. There's an optional 20-20-20 challenge too — 20 minutes a day, 20 days in a row, 20 pieces of litter — equal parts exercise and community cleanup.

Programs worth knowing

• Deceased animal removal — a year-round program for farmers and residents with livestock; call 270-734-1336 to schedule a pickup.
• Free disposal days — the county periodically runs free document-shred, electronic-scrap recycling, and free dump days for bulky and construction items. Watch the county's channels for dates.
• Household hazardous waste — held in late summer for paints, pesticides, and old prescription drugs (don't pour these down a drain or septic line).

What code enforcement actually does

Wally Skaggs has done this job for 24 years, and the first thing he wants people to know is what it isn't: code enforcement isn't about where you put a shed or a fence. He enforces the county's property maintenance ordinance — the rules that keep properties safe — and only in the unincorporated areas (not Elizabethtown, Radcliff, or Vine Grove).

That runs from tall grass (which is largely his discretion — there's no fixed height) to scattered garbage, leaking vehicle fluids, and dilapidated or fire-damaged structures that draw curious kids into real danger. The authority behind it is state and county ordinance, and on environmental issues he works with the health department and the state's water and air divisions. His approach, in his words, is to find the happy medium and help people get there.

A useful aside on tires: stacked tires hold stagnant water and breed mosquitoes. When you buy new tires, the shop will take the old ones — there's a small state disposal fee built in whether you keep them or not — and Louisville has dedicated tire-recycling drop-offs if you've accumulated a pile.

How to report a problem

• Code violations: use TextMyGov or the county website (HardinCountyKY.gov), or just call — staff check the portal daily and route anything that lands in the wrong inbox.
• Litter, missed trash, dump sites, recycling questions: text the keyword (litter, mistrash, dump site, or recycling) to 270-951-0951.
• County alerts: text "Hardin County" to 91896 for closures, service delays, weather, and event reminders.

One last note from the show: the monthly Hardin Local with Hardin County Government series is also available as a podcast under the name Hardin County In Focus on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Hardin Local with Hardin County Government is a monthly conversation putting a face to the county offices that serve Hardin County. Watch the full episode above, and find more at HardinLocal.com.