COTTAGEVILLE — The Jackson County Solid Waste Authority will host an in-person workshop on Friday, Nov. 18, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Cottageville.

The event is designed to teach attendees about recycling in Jackson County, how to properly install a rain barrel at their residence, and how to reduce water pollution, during the hands-on workshop, that will also feature demonstrations.

A rain barrel is a container that attaches to your downspouts to collect rain water that would otherwise be wasted. Rain barrels reduce the amount of stormwater runoff by collecting roof runoff and storing the rainwater for future use. Generally, rainwater will become contaminated after about one week, but you can prolong its lifetime indefinitely by keeping it out of the light and from animal and insect contact.

How quickly do rain barrels fill up? It’s common for about 1/8 inch of rain to fall each hour during a moderate rainstorm. That means that a 500 square foot roof can fill a properly installed 50-gallon rain barrel in about one hour.

Each attendee will receive a rain barrel part kit, provided for free by the Jackson County Solid Waste Authority, which is normally valued at, or around, $40. Registration is required, as space is limited to the first 15 registrants, and as part of the registration, a recycled barrel is available for purchase at $30 each, which will be paid for by JCSWA, who will also cover transporting the barrels to the fairgrounds. Barrels must be paid for in advance of the workshop.

To register for the workshop, call Rick Buckley, Chairman, at (304) 372-5538.

Another event in Jackson County geared at recycling, involves collecting tires. The Jackson County SWA has worked with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s REAP program to hold a local tire collection event to rid the county of old tires.

The event will be held on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Residents may bring old tires for disposal to the Jackson County Fairgrounds at Cottageville.

Residents may dispose of up to 10 tires per person with a valid West Virginia ID for Jackson County. The tires must be off the rims. Only car and light truck tires will be accepted. Haulers and businesses are not allowed to participate in this event.

For more information about these events, visit the Facebook page of Jackson County, WV, or contact the Jackson County Solid Waste Authority.

Maria Rutherford can be reached at mrutherford@newsandsentinel.com.