Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

Open to residents in Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties

BELLE—A special waste collection for electronics, appliances and tires will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 30 in the city of Belle, at Fourth Street and Belle Avenue, Belle, Mo.

The collection is for household items only–no materials from businesses will be accepted.

Stoves, washers, dryers, microwaves, hot water heaters, refrigerators, freezers and other appliances will be collected free of charge. There is no fee for refrigerant appliances. Free electronics also include computer CPUs, keyboards, hair dryers, VCRs, cell phones or anything with a cord.

A $10 fee will be charged for each television and $5 per computer monitor. Fees will be assessed for tires: passenger tires at $1.50 each, truck tires at $5 each and tractor tires at $10 each.

“Ozark Rivers Solid Waste District subsidizes those costs when it can – as it does with electronics recycling—but citizens should take responsibility for the solid waste they generate. That’s why the district charges for accepting tires. They simply do not have the local grant money to cover the cost of tire amnesty collections,” MRPC Assistant Director and Environmental Programs Manager Tammy Snodgrass said.

Program participants are required to unload items themselves. 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 the amount of waste generated for disposal by 40 percent.

The city of Belle and Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD), in partnership with Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), are offering the April 30 collection.

For more information or questions, contact Jill Hollowell at MRPC at 573-265-2993 or jhollowell@meramecregion.org.

For those unable to participate in the Belle collection, mark your calendars for other collection dates and sites, including May 21 in Rolla, Sept. 17 in Cuba and Oct. 1 in St. Robert.

The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. The district’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by MDNR, involves intense education and increased recycling efforts in member counties and cities.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 22, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities. For the latest news and events from ORSWMD and MRPC, visit www.meramecregion.orgor find it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion