RECYCLING

AMERICAN RECYCLING IS STALLING ... THE BIG BLUE BIN IS ONE REASON WHY
Tucked in the woods 30 miles north of Washington is a plant packed with energy-guzzling machines that can make even an environmentalists' hear sing - giant conveyor belts, sorters & crushers saving a thousand ton of paper, plastic & other recyclables from reaching landfills each day.  This 24-hour operations is a sign that after 3 decades of trying, a culture of curbside recycling has become ingrained in cities and counties across the country.  Happy Valley, however, it is not.

Many of the problems facing the recycling industry can be traced to the curbside blue bin -- and the old saying that if it sounds too good to be true, it just might be.  Anyone who has ever tossed a can into a bin knows that's supposed to happen: Anything recyclable can go in, and then somehow, magically, it's all separated & reused. 

The whole idea originated in California in the 1990's.  Environmental advocates believed that the only way to increase participation in recycling programs was to make it easier.  Sorting took time and was messy.  Glass, plastic, paper, cardboard & metal are collected in the big blue bins.  However, more than a third of all glass sent to recycling facilities ends up crushed.  It is trucked to landfills as daily cover to bury the smell & trap gases.  The rest has almost no value to recyclers and can often cost them to haul away.

In recent years, the problem of contamination has spread beyond glass.  The problem was exacerbated when municipalities began increasing the size of bins, believing that  bigger was better to keep more material from landfills.  Consumers have indeed been filling the bigger bins, but often with as much garbage as recyclable materials!  With the extra room, residents stopped breaking down cardboard boxes, and some boxes have foam & plastic wrap attached.  Other examples of contamination in the big blue bins: Residents are tossing anything rubber, metal or plastic -- garden hoses, clothes hangers, shopping bags, shoes, Christmas lights into the recycle bins.  In fact, so much non-recyclable material was being stuffed into the bins that after an audit by Waste Management last fall, the share of the city's profit for selling recyclables plummeted by more than 50 percent.

We must begin by getting more garbage out of its recycling stream.  Residents have a way to influence this by making sure they are recycling right.  Another possibility is to follow the urgings of the environmental community by expanding recycling programs to include composting -- the banana peels & grass clippings degrading in landfills that by some estimates have become the nation's third-biggest source of methane gas contributing to global warming.

COMPOST WORKSHOP FOR RESIDENTS
Join the Erie County Recycling Program (ERCP), Environment Erie, and Millcreek Township for this informational workshop on the philosophy of zero waste & proper procedures for diverting food waste, recyclables, & electronics from the waste stream with an emphasis on composting.  Upon completion of this workshop, each participating household will receive a FREE Compost Wizard Jr. bin & composting handouts. 

You may download and print the flyer COMPOST the new "Black Gold" for workshop dates, and more information.

TRASH COLLECTION OPTIONS
Two private Trash Collection Companies may service the Wayne Township residents:  Advanced Disposal (formerly Veolia) 888-262-4910 and Waste Management 877-823-1030.  Please call either of those two companies to set up your trash collection schedule.

 
TAKING ELECTRONICS TO THE CURB HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED
It's a fact of modern life ... For every new, sleek and feature-packed electronic device we buy, there's usually an old one getting "kicked to the curb".  As of Jan. 24 2013, thanks to the PA Covered Device Recycling Act, the DVD players and laptops that you leave curbside will stay there.  Garbage collectors will be looking for your old electronic devices.  But instead of tossing them into the truck, they'll be slapping stickers on them that explain why they've been rejected. 

Manufacturers are required to set up methods to recycle the material at no cost to consumers.  Details about recycling centers & programs are available on the state Department of Environmental Protection's website:  http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/.  Use the keyword "electronics recycling".

Best Buy and H.H. Gregg are among stores that will recycle your old appliance or electronic item for free when you buy a new one.

ERIE COUNTY RECYCLING PROGRAM 
You can conveniently free your life of waste, by participating in eWaste & Household Hazardous Waste Collections.  This program is open to Erie County residents only.  Pre-registration is required.  A 10-cent per-pound fee for e-waste and 35-cent per-pound fee for household hazardous waste will be applied. 

To register, simply contact the Erie County Recycling Program (ECRP) toll-free at (866) 815-0016. 
For more details, visit http://www.waynetownshippa.com/admin/www.eriecountyrecycling.com or call (814) 451-6019.

Monthly Collections are located in Millcreek Township at the Erie County Recycling Center - 1624 Filmore Avenue  Erie, PA.  Erie County Recycling Center will be open March 14, 2015 :: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. for the second of twelve Saturday collections, of E-Waste & Household Hazardous Waste (HHW).

If you are interested in the Tuesday mornings & Thursday afternoons that had been available in 2014, call the pre-registration number (866-815-0016), and talk with ECS&R (they run the recycling center).  They can let you know if they will be continuing those days again this summer. 

Click on the link below for the Erie County Recycling Program 2015 Event Dates & Info:
ECRP 2015 Event Dates

 
ACCEPTABLE MATERIALS:  Consumer Electronics (e-Waste) and Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
ACCEPTABLE E-WASTE:  Televisions . CD Players . PC's, computer printers & peripherals . Mobile Phones . VCR's . Stereos & Tape Players . Fax machines . Copiers
ACCEPTABLE HHW:  Cleaning products . Automotive products . Lawn & garden products . Indoor pesticides . Mercury thermostats or thermometers . Fluorescent light buls & CFL bulbs . Driveway sealer . Flammable products . Paint & Paint products . Auto & Household Batteries
UNACCEPTABLE MATERIALS INCLUDE:  Ammunition & explosives . Radioactive material . Biological (sharps) . Smoke detectors   

BEST BUY RECYCLES 
Best Buy Stores will accept electronics for recycling.  Please visit their recycling webpage using this link: bestbuyrecycling