… -. O . ) Recycling

 

Here is the info about COM’s recycling programs:

1. Electronics
-We partner with Computer Rex TX king Center to recycle computers, phones, tablets, consumer electronics, small and large appliances, TVs, bulbs and batteries (pretty much anything with a battery or wires). Data-containing devices (computers, phones, flash drives, etc) have the data securely destroyed by Computer Recycling Center and the remaining parts are reused or recycled. Some items have a fee, but most items are free.

2. Paper shredding
COM collects paper in locked containers to be shredded by Computer Recycling Center. Cost is $1/pound

3. Cardboard
We recycle corrugated cardboard containers. We will have drop off bins for 24/7 drop off coming by the end of June. Until then, people can drop off anytime we are open (Tue-Sat). We do NOT accept paper or paperboard (cereal or soda box material), only corrugated.

4. Household items
Items such as clothing, books, media, kitchenware, furniture, etc can be donated to COM for reuse through our thrift store.

All recycling helps benefit COM’s anti-poverty programs. More info can be found online at www.bolivarcom.org/recycling or by calling 417-326-2769.

Big Dog Recycling: Aluminum Cans, Metal, Paper, Newspapers, Plastic, Cardboard, Appliances, Electronics, TVs in small quantities, NO GLASS.  2074 Hwy 32 Halfway, MO 65663. 417-445-3616. Open Mon-Sat (8 a.m.to 4 p.m.)

Polk County Recycling: Aluminum Cans, Metal, Paper, Newspapers, Plastic, Cardboard, Glass (No appliances, electronics or tvs) Ben Lee, Recycling Manager.         417-327-6617. Open Thurs-Friday (8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m.) & Saturday (8a.m. to 12p.m.)

Humansville Recyling Center: Large Appliances with compressors removed, Colored Glass. 725 E English Humansville, MO. 

Peddler’s Post: Electronics and Televisions. 110 E Jackson Bolivar, MO 65613. 417-777-4386.

AT & T: Cell Phones and Chargers. 923 S Springfield Bolivar, MO 65613. 417-777-4500.

Household Chemical Collection Center: household chemical waste. Open year round by appt. only. Serving Polk, Christian, Dallas, Webster & Greene Counties 

1226 W. Nichols Springfield MO 65802. 417-864-2000.

Vision Source Dr. Montgomery: Eyeglasses — Lions Club Drop-off. 315 S Main Bolivar, MO 65613. 417-777-9000.

Woods: Plastic Bags. 703 E College Bolivar, MO  65613. 417-326-7601.

Cartridge World: Printer cartridges, Toner, Ribbon. 1842 S Glenstone Springfield, MO 65806. 417-886-1234.

Keeling Foundation for Kids: Annual Shred Day each Spring – call for exact Saturday 417-326-3799. Accepts all paper items including financial records, tax returns, confidential correspondence that should be destroyed.  $10 donation to the foundation that supports Polk County students

B&A Scrap Metal: scrap metal, cans, applicances, NO TVs. 417-326-7277.

Recycling Basics: Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.

Benefits of Recycling

·         Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators

·         Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals

·         Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials

·         Saves energy

·         Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change

·         Helps sustain the environment for future generations

·         Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States.

Step 1: collection and processing

 Paper makes up nearly 30 percent of all wastes Americans throw away each year, more than any other material. Americans recycled about 63 percent of the paper they used in 2013. This recovered paper is used to make new paper products, saving trees and other natural resources. Most community or office recycling programs accept paper and paper products. Check what your community or office program accepts before you put it in the bin. When you go shopping, look for products that are made from recycled paper.


Batteries

Some batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel; therefore, many communities do not allow them to be thrown away with your regular trash. Recycling is always the best option for disposing of used batteries.

·         Lead-Acid Car Batteries can be returned to almost any store that sells car batteries. The lead and plastics from the batteries can then be recycled and used to manufacture new products. About 99 percent of lead-acid car batteries are recycled.

·         Dry-Cell Batteries are used in a variety of electronics and include alkaline and carbon zinc (9-volt, D, C, AA, AAA), mercuric-oxide (button, some cylindrical and rectangular), silver-oxide and zinc-air (button), and lithium (9-volt, C, AA, coin, button, rechargeable) batteries. Look for in-store recycling bins or community collection events to dispose of these batteries.

Plastics

Americans generated 33 million tons of plastics in 2013, about 13 percent of the waste stream. Only nine percent of plastics were recycled in 2013. Some types of plastics are recycled much more than others. Most community recycling programs accept some, but not all, types of plastics. Look for products made from recycled plastic materials.

What do the symbols mean on the bottom of plastic bottles and containers? These symbols were created by plastic manufacturers to help people identify the kind of plastic resin used to make the container. This can help you determine if the container can be accepted by your local recycling program. The resin number is contained in a triangle, which looks very similar to the recycling symbol, but this does not necessarily mean it can be collected for recycling in your community.

SPI Resin
Identification
Code
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Type of Resin
Content
PET HDPE Vinyl LDPE PP PS OTHER
·         PET –
Polyethylene
Terephthalate·         HDPE – High-density Polyethylene
·         LDPE –
Low-density
Polyethylene
·
PP – Polypropylene
·         PS –
Polystyrene
·        Other – Mixed Plastics

 Glass

Glass, especially glass food and beverage containers, can be recycled over and over again. Americans generated 11.5 million tons of glass in 2013, about 27 percent of which was recovered for recycling. Making new glass from recycled glass is typically cheaper than using raw materials. Most curbside community recycling programs accept different glass colors and types mixed together, and then glass is sorted at the recovery facility. Check with your local program to see if you need to separate your glass or if it can be mixed together.

 Used Oil

Never dump your used motor oil down the drain — the used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water. By recycling your used oil you not only help keep our water supply clean, but help reduce American dependence on foreign oil. It takes 42 gallons of crude oil, but only one gallon of used oil, to produce 2.5 quarts of new motor oil. Many garages and auto-supply stores that sell motor oil also accept oil for recycling.

Household Hazardous Waste

Leftover household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients are considered to be household hazardous waste (HHW). Products such as paints, cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides that contain potentially hazardous ingredients require special care when you dispose of them. HHW may be dangerous to people or bad for the environment if poured down the drain, dumped on the ground, or thrown out with regular trash.

What you can do:

·         Try to reduce your purchases of these products and look for alternative, non-hazardous products.

·         When you do need to dispose of these products, look for special collection events in your community or permanent collection centers. Sometimes businesses that sell these products will also accept them for recycling.

 Safe Management of HHW

To avoid the potential risks associated with household hazardous wastes, it is important that people always monitor the use, storage, and disposal of products with potentially hazardous substances in their homes. Improper disposal of HHW can include pouring them down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or in some cases putting them out with the regular trash.

The dangers of such disposal methods might not be immediately obvious, but improper disposal of these wastes can pollute the environment and pose a threat to human health. Certain types of HHW have the potential to cause physical injury to sanitation workers, contaminate septic tanks or wastewater treatment systems if poured down drains or toilets. They can also present hazards to children and pets if left around the house.

Some quick tips for the safe handling of household hazardous wastes include:

·         Follow any instructions for use and storage provided on product labels carefully to prevent any accidents at home.

·         Be sure to read product labels for disposal directions to reduce the risk of products exploding, igniting, leaking, mixing with other chemicals, or posing other hazards on the way to a disposal facility.

·         Never store hazardous products in food containers; keep them in their original containers and never remove labels. Corroding containers, however, require special handling. Call your local hazardous materials official or fire department for instructions.

·         When leftovers remain, never mix HHW with other products. Incompatible products might react, ignite, or explode, and contaminated HHW might become unrecyclable.

·         Check with your local environmental, health or solid waste agency for more information on HHW management options in your area.

o    If your community doesn’t have a year-round collection system for HHW, see if there are any designated days in your area for collecting HHW at a central location to ensure safe management and disposal.

o    If your community has neither a permanent collection site nor a special collection day, you might be able to drop off certain products at local businesses for recycling or proper disposal. Some local garages, for example, may accept used motor oil for recycling. Check around.

·         Remember, even empty containers of HHW can pose hazards because of the residual chemicals that might remain so handle them with care.

Reducing HHW in Your Home

Consider reducing your purchase of products that contain hazardous ingredients. Learn about the use of alternative methods or products—without hazardous ingredients—for some common household needs. When shopping for items such as multipurpose household cleaners, toilet cleaners, laundry detergent, dish soap, dishwashing machine pods and gels, bug sprays and insect pest control, consider shopping for environmentally friendly, natural products or search online for simple recipes you can use to create your own.

 Tires

Disease-carrying pests such as rodents may live in tire piles. Tire piles can also catch on fire. Most garages are required to accept and recycle your used tires when you have new ones installed. You may be able to return used tires to either a tire retailer or a local recycling facility that accepts tires. Some communities will hold collection events for used tires.

Step 2: Manufacturing

More and more of today’s products are being manufactured

with recycled content. Common household items that contain recycled materials include the following:

·         Aluminum, plastic, and glass soft drink containers

·         Steel cans

·         Plastic laundry detergent bottles

·         Newspapers and paper towels

Recycled materials are also used in new ways such as recovered glass in asphalt to pave roads or recovered plastic in carpeting and park benches.

Step 3 Purchasing New Products Made from Recycled Materials

  • You help close the recycling loop by buying new products made from recycled materials. There are thousands of products that contain recycled content. When you go shopping, look for the following:
    • Products that can be easily recycled
    • Products that contain recycled content

Below are some of the terms used:

  • Recycled-content product – The product was manufactured with recycled materials either collected from a recycling program or from waste recovered during the normal manufacturing process. The label will sometimes include how much of the content was from recycled materials.
  • Post-consumer content – Very similar to recycled content, but the material comes only from recyclables collected from consumers or businesses through a recycling program.
  • Recyclable product – Products that can be collected, processed and manufactured into new products after they have been used. These products do not necessarily contain recycled materials. Remember not all kinds of recyclables may be collected in your community so be sure to check with your local recycling program before you buy.

Some of the common products you can find that can be made with recycled content include the following:

  • Aluminum cans
  • Car bumpers
  • Carpeting
  • Cereal boxes
  • Comic books
  • Egg cartons
  • Glass containers
  • Laundry detergent bottles
  • Motor oil
  • Nails
  • Newspapers
  • Paper towels
  • Steel products
  • Trash bags