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June 7, 2011 Cuba Special Waste Collection Nets 34 Appliances, 59 cars served More than 800 pieces of electronics were diverted from local landfills on May 14 when area residents participated in a region-wide special waste collection in Cuba. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., some 59 cars dropped off unwanted or worn out items, including 89 scanners, 125 desktop personal computers and 219 computer monitors. When the numbers were tallied, 9,700 pounds of electronics waste and appliances had been diverted from landfills and recycled. The collection was held at Hood Park on Hood Drive, in Cuba. The special waste collection—which combined electronics and appliances into one recycling event—was a partnership effort among the City of Cuba, Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Appliances—including stoves, washers, dryers, hot water heaters, refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers, air conditioners and other unwanted white goods—were accepted free of charge. A $5 fee was charged per television for households and $10 for businesses. Computer monitors cost $5 each. The actual disposal cost of a television is $20, and the solid waste district subsidized half the cost through a grant. Other electronics, such as microwaves, keyboards, printers, VCRs, DVD players, telephones, speakers, scanners and radios, were accepted free of charge. The most popular appliances dropped off at the collection were dehumidifiers; five were collected. MRPC contracted with Midwest Recycling Center (MRC) of St. Louis to recycle the appliances and electronics. The majority of those dropping off items at the collection—some 51 cars—were from Crawford County. The remainder came from Maries, Franklin, Gasconade and Phelps counties. The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their cities. The solid waste district is tasked with reducing by 40 percent the amount of waste generated for disposal. Using its tipping fee dollars, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste District used a grant to help subsidize disposal costs and cover the costs of the collection, including staff time to coordinate the events and to advertise them. Area residents that have questions about recycling contact Tammy Snodgrass at (573) 265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org. |