Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

SALEM—A special waste collection for electronics and tires will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 30 in the parking lot of Salem S/W Construction at the corner of Third and Grand in Salem.

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

Free electronics include computer components, keyboards, hair dryers, VCR/DVD players, audio equipment, power tools, cell phones or anything that runs on a cord or battery. Oil and gas must be removed from tanks of any items such as push mowers, weed eaters, etc. Please note the following items will NOT be accepted: VHS & data tapes; floppy disks; transformers, capacitors or ballasts not clearly marked “No PCBs”; smoke detectors; thermostats; medical waste; gas containers such as Freon, oxygen, nitrous oxide; anything leaking oil or acid, such as batteries; broken ink or toner cartridges; alkaline batteries; and physically broken CRTS, TVs or monitors.

For more information on what is and is not accepted, please contact Jill Hollowell at Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), 573-265-2993, ext. 109 or by email at jhollowell@meramecregion.org.

A $10 fee will be charged for each TV, computer monitor, refrigerated appliance or item with Freon brought to the collection. Tires will have a fee applied based on type and size – $2.00 each for passenger vehicle or pick-up truck, $7.50 each for large truck and $35 each for farm tractor.

“Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD) subsidizes those costs when it can, but citizens should take responsibility for the solid waste they generate,” said Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC assistant director and environmental programs manager. “The district simply does not have the local grant money to cover the cost of the entire collection.”

Program participants are required to unload the items themselves. The collection is open to any household 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 going to landfills by 40 percent.

The city of Salem and MRPC, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and ORSWMD, are offering the Sept. 30 collection. The last collection held in Salem was in October 2014 and nearly three tons of recyclables were collected.

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 Missouri Department of Natural Resources involves education and to reduce solid waste in member counties and cities. MRPC provides administration of the district and assists with a variety of implementation projects.

For more information about ORSWMD or waste reduction and recycling opportunities in the Ozark Rivers area, contact Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC environmental programs manager, at 573-265-2993 or by email at tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org.  Additional information can be found at www.ozarkrivers.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ORSWMD.

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 23, 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.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.orgor on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.