Do you have an old refrigerator or broken down washer on the back porch or in the backyard? Do you have old tires beside the garage? Wondering what to do with that old computer? There’s finally an answer.
Meramec Regional Planning Commission, in partnership with the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and several local governments, will offer a variety of collections across the Ozark Rivers district. Mark your calendar now for the following events:
•Electronics waste (E-waste) collection at Owensville—Sat., Sept. 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Owensville Middle School parking lot, 3340 Highway 19, Owensville. Hosted by Gasconade County R-2 Schools.
•E-waste, appliances and tire collections at the St. Robert—Sat., Sept. 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the St. Robert Transfer Station and Recycling Center upper parking lot, 3 J.H. Williamson, St. Robert. Hosted by the City of St. Robert.
•E-waste, appliances and tire collections at Rolla—Sat., Sept. 25 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Brewer Science, Inc. parking lot in Hy-Point Industrial Park, 2401 Brewer Dr., Rolla. Hosted by Brewer Science, Inc. and the City of Rolla.
•E-waste and tire collections near Meta—Sat., Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maries County Road District #1 shed, 11055 State Highway 133, Meta. Hosted by the Maries County Commission.
•E-waste and tire collections at Salem—Sat., Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m at the City of Salem Water Department parking lot, Third and Grand, in Salem, Hosted by the City of Salem.
Appliances—including stoves, washers, dryers, hot water heaters and other unwanted white goods—will be accepted free of charge. Refrigerators, freezers and air conditioners containing Freon will be charged a $50 recycle fee for refrigerant removal.
Fees will be charged for tires, televisions and monitors. Passenger tires will be $1.50 each, truck tires will be $5 each, and tractor tires will be $10 each. Tires from businesses are not accepted. Televisions will cost $5 for households and $10 for businesses. Each computer monitor will cost $5. You must unload the items yourself.
“These are one-time collections, so now is the time to take advantage of the opportunity,” explained Nongluk Tunyavanich, MRPC’s environmental programs specialist, who is coordinating the events in partnership with the local governments. “We combined our electronics collection with our appliance and waste tire collection and it worked extremely well. It’s sort of your one-stop recycling shop.”
“Abandoned tires collect water and become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile disease,” explained Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager. “Old appliances—especially refrigerators and freezers—can also be dangerous because children like to play in them and can easily be trapped and suffocate.”
The collection is open to any households in the Ozark Rivers District, including Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. The solid waste district is tasked with reducing by 40 percent the amount of waste generated for disposal. The Ozark Rivers Solid Waste District is using its own grant program, funded through landfill user tipping fees, to sponsor these collections.
MRPC is working with a scrap dealer in the region to properly handle appliances, and tires will be recycled into tire-derived fuel. Midwest Recycling Center of Crystal City and Park Hills will recycle electronics.
The Solid Waste Management District will also have educational information available at the collection that will help residents deal with other types of waste, including household hazardous waste.
The Ozark River District, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the cities of Rolla and St. Robert, have established satellite HHW drop-off disposal facilities, which are scheduled to begin accepting materials again on Aug. 1. Persons needing to dispose of household hazardous waste can make an appointment with the Rolla Recycling Center, 573-364-6693, or the St. Robert Transfer Station, 573-336-5155.
Area residents that have questions about the collection can contact Snodgrass or Tunyavanich at (573) 265-2993 or by e-mail at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org or nongluk@meramecregion.org.