Recycling day will help decluttering projects
At least once I year when I go to my mother's house, she has a box of things for me. The things were happily stored in a closet in her house until she found them and decided they needed to be returned to me. One time, it was all my high school yearbooks, dried flower bouquets and dance ticket stubs.
Another time it was my extensive napkin collection that I started in fifth grade as a classroom assignment that went out of control as I sent for napkins from other countries. Let's face it. It is easier to save things than part with them, especially if there is any sentimental value.
We can even get attached to electronics. We bought a 12-inch screen television/VCR combo that could run on the car battery for a cross country trip decades ago. The trip was so much fun that we find it hard to get rid of the television even though we know we will never use it again.
And what about checking account statements, tax materials, and other important papers? Tossing them out in the recycle bin is impossible with all of the identity theft issues.
Our area aldermen have teamed up to help everyone declutter by hosting a fall recycling day on Saturday, Nov. 14 at three locations. Collection will begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 10:45 a.m. OR until the trucks are full. It might be prudent to show up early to be sure your items get collected. The collection will be for electronics and for shredding. Amounts are limited, so please read carefully.
For the shredding event, each car will be limited to five banker's boxes or the equivalent amount. The shredding site for the 8th Ward will be the west parking lot of Fischer Middle School, 1305 Long Grove Drive at Eola Road. The 9th Ward site will be directly east of 2240 S. Eola Road. The 10th Ward site will be in the north parking lot of Metea Valley High School, 1801 N. Eola Road.
For electronics recycling, each vehicle can bring one television. The aldermen have limited the number of televisions accepted in an effort to allow everyone a chance to participate. Computers, keyboards, laptops, monitors, date center equipment, copiers, fax machines, cell phones, hand-held devices, projection equipment, cables, printers, network hardware, external hard drives and communication hardware will also be accepted. The electronics recycling for the 8th Ward and the 9th Ward will be in the Fischer Middle School west parking lot. The electronics recycling for the 10th Ward will take place at the north parking lot at Metea Valley High School.
The recycler accepting computers for this event is going to dismantle and recycle the base materials. The company will not be reselling or reusing any parts. Therefore, residents do not need to be worried about personal information being taken off of the computers.
Although most of these items can be set out at the curb on garbage night, sending equipment like this into landfills is dangerous. For example, televisions contain dangerous amounts of lead and mercury.
Consider these statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency. Since 1980, Americans purchased 704.9 million CRT televisions. With the new technology available, only about 42.4 percent of those televisions are still being used. Since 2005, people have been getting rid of about 20 million televisions each year. In 2006 and 2007, only about 18 percent of those televisions were recycled. The rest went into landfills.
In addition, the EPA notes that the new flat panel computer screens have prompted people to replace their CRT computer monitors. In 2005, 28.5 million monitors became garbage. Recycling is a far better option than setting these items out at the curb.
This event is being run by volunteers. If you would like to help, contact your ward alderman. Rick Mervine is the 8th Ward alderman, Leroy Keith is the 9th Ward alderman and Lynda Elmore is the 10th Ward alderman.
Please do not drop things off at these sites before or after the event. These items will not be accepted and this action will be considered illegal. If there is a large response and people have to be turned away, there is a possibility of scheduling a second event.
This recycling effort is only open to residents of wards 8, 9 and 10. Please bring a photo ID with you because you may be asked to prove residency. It may take some effort to load everything in the car to take this event but then you will finally have enough room to store all those high school yearbooks.
buchenot@comcast.net
