Getting rid of household waste that you suspect is environmentally hazardous can be a problem. Fortunately, the Household Hazardous Waste Task Force will hold these recycling events:

• September 18, 9 am to 1 pm at the Monroeville Mall, across from Best Buy.
• October 2, 9 am to 1 pm in Bradys Run Park, Beaver County.

For more information about these recycling events and our Global Warming Action Team’s involvement, contact Chris Shepard at shepherd999 at gmail dot com

• The first major hazardous waste recycling event of the year is set for May 1.
• Pittsburgh’s Sustainability Coordinator, Lindsay Baxter, informs us that a 10-page Mayor’s Green Guide covers citizen opportunities from Recycling to Composting to Stormwater Management to Renewable Energy to Sustainable Food.
• Fired up your gas-driven lawn mower yet? How about using a zero-emission, healthy push reel lawn mower?

Spring cleaning is not too far away, and you may have some items that you don’t know how to get rid of. Fortunately, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste Task Force has organized a series of collection events beginning in May.

New in 2010 will be a collection of unused pharmaceutical material.  As the amount of medical drugs per capita increases, the problem of waste medicinal drugs being simply flushed away into our water cycle is of growing concern.
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Pennsylvania Resources Council’s 2009 ‘Hard to Recycle’ event will be held:

10 am to 2 pm, Saturday, November 21
Mall at Robinson
100 Robinson Centre Drive
Pittsburgh PA 12205

Materials to be collected include:

• Electronics (computers, televisions, dvd players and more)
• Tires (without rims)
• Medical Equipment (Crutches, walkers, wheelchairs, etc. No PRESCRIPTIONS. No collection fee for these items)
• Cell phones
• Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs
• Alkaline Batteries
• Ink and Toner Cartridges
• NEW at this event – FREON & NON-FREON APPLIANCES

For collection fess and additional information, see the Pennsylvania Resources Council website.

NOTE: In addition to the ‘Hard to Recycle’ events organized by PRC and Allegheny County, there are two DEP-approved recyclers of electronic materials in our region. One is JVS Environmental in Rockwood, Somerset County, and the other is eLoopllc in Murrysville, Westmoreland County. Both companies de-manufacture the collected products.

Retail behemoth Walmart has announced that it is creating an ‘environmental ratings system’ that will help customers understand how eco-friendly is the production and marketing of all of its products.

Given its influence on retailing around the world, this could be a major step towards acceptance of the Cradle to Cradle concept by which we have to design and manufacture products in a way far different from the traditional path.

Cradle to Cradle goes beyond the Cradle to Grave concept of Reduce – Reuse – Recycle with most products being eventually dumped, and instead places an emphasis on a system where materials are in a continuous closed-loop through many use cycles.

Some companies have already moved beyond what Walmart is proposing, and have adopted a Cradle to Cradle certification system. For example, in 2005 office furniture giant Steelcase earned the MBDC certification for a sustainably produced Think Chair,   and all the US Postal Service’s Express Mail and Priority Mail packages and envelopes have been Silver certified by MBDC.

To learn more about the Cradle to Cradle practice, why not borrow from your local library “Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things” by W. McDonough and M. Braungart, New York: North Point Press, 2002.

Included in the City of Pittsburgh’s Five Year Economic Recovery Plan recently approved by City Council is a plan to “Conduct an independent operational review of refuse, bulk waste and recycling collection to identify potential efficiencies and achieve a higher recycling rate, resulting in lower landfill costs and more Commonwealth grant funding.”

The plan points out that in 2007 only 10 pct of the residential waste in the city was recycled. According to a Waste News survey of the 30 largest cities, Seattle had the highest rate of about 52 pct, and seventeen cities had recycling rates above 15 pct.  And that is the target that the City has set to achieve by 2013.

Environmentally Responsible Recycling of Electronic Waste:
The Allegheny County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Resources Council are sponsoring a drop-off collection event for electronic waste and other hard-to-recycle items.

When: 10 a.m. to 2 pm, Saturday, July 18
Where: Steel City Harley Davidson, 1375 Washington Road, Washington, PA 15301 (Route 19 and Racetrack Road)

No fees will be charged for cell phones, ink and toner cartridges, compact fluorescent light bulbs, alkaline batteries, crutches, canes and walkers.

The following items will be accepted for the following nominal fees:

• Tire with no rim, $2
• TV 19” and under, $10
• TV 20”-29”, $20
• TV 30”-39”, $25
• TV 40” or greater or console TV, $35
• CPU, laptop or server, $5
• monitor, $10
• combination personal computer/monitor/keyboard, $15
• printer/scanner/fax/small ups, $5
• VHS/DVD/phone/router, $2

Health officials assure that the electronic waste will be refurbished or recycled in a way that protects public health and the environment from exposure to toxic chemicals.

For more information or to volunteer for the collection event, please call the Pennsylvania Resources Council at 412-488-7490, ext. 236.

In our consumer-goods driven economy a major problem is the disposal of electronic waste, from batteries to TV sets.  One temporary solution until April 25 is to take your e-waste to the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society at their North Shore shelter.

Hours for drop off at 1101 Western Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 are as follows:

• 10am-7pm weekdays
• 10am-5pm Saturday

No fee except a $15 charge for non-plasma/flat screen televisions.

The items will be recycled by EarthEcycle®, a company committed to reducing and eventually eliminating the amount of electronic waste sent to landfills.

For more information call Gretchen at 412-321-4625 ext 248 or email Gretchen dot fieser at wpahumane dot org.

Some reactionary politicians scoff at the use of CFLs, suggesting that the small amounts of mercury can be a serious hazard. So just to be sure, our good friends at the PA Resources Council (PRC) on the Southside have sent us a list of places where we can recycle CFLs.

First, PRC explains that there are currently no regulatory requirements (federal or state) for individuals and/or home owners to recycle or dispose of their CFLs, fluorescent tubes, LED, or incandescent bulbs as hazardous waste since they are considered small quantity generators. Only businesses that produce larger quantities are required to do so.

So go replace your old incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, and when the CFLs do finally burn out, you can safely recycle them.

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs have become increasingly popular in recent years because they are longer lasting than traditional light bulbs, cut electricity costs by up to 75 percent, and help reduce air pollution. However, they do contain small amounts of mercury and their disposal has to be done with care.

To that end, the Allegheny County Health Department, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, is offering a free collection program for recycling compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.

“Our collection program gives consumers a disposal option that is safer for the environment and public health than discarding CFLs with household trash. An estimated 99.9 percent of the mercury will be recovered,” said County Health Director Dr. Bruce W. Dixon.

CFLs may be dropped off Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Clack Health Center, Building 5, Public Drinking Water and Waste Management Program, 3901 Penn Ave., Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh 15224.

The CFLs will be accepted for a limited time and should be transported and delivered in a way that prevents breakage.

Health officials note that CFLs are a win-win for the consumer and the environment. While CFLs cost more initially, the energy savings can pay back the higher upfront cost in as little as four months and save more than $60 over a CFLs entire life. In addition, CFLs cut pollution from power plants since less energy is needed to light them.

Recycling materials other the normal paper and plastics can sometimes be a challenge. Here are some suggestions:

Laptops and computers (but not monitors) can go, free, to “high tech scrap”, the computer recyclers’ bin at Construction Junction (412-243-5025).

Goodwill takes computers and peripherals. Parts that are functional and not too old are rebuilt and resold at attractive prices via the Goodwill computer store–reuse is even greener than recycling. Goodwill tackles ‘e-waste’, Tribune Review, 8-8-07.

Cell phones, laptops, digital cameras, PDAs and ink cartridges are worth good money and are often collected as fundraisers (phones are commonly worth $6-$30 each). GRC Wireless Recycling.

The local stereo recycling guy (see ads at the East End co-op in the co-op newsletter) picks up most stereo parts for free. Here’s his ad from the Co-Operator:

STEREO RECYCLERS — We buy old speakers, receivers, tape decks, turntables, etc., and put them back into circulation. We can repair and rebuild your worn out speakers. Don’t let unused stereo components sitting in storage end up in landfills. (412) 244-0337; shos15218 at comcast dot net

Paper and cardboard are always free for disposal at the city recycling areas (helping the city) or can be used to raise funds for charities when put in the fundraising bins (e.g. outside of Whole Foods).

Compact Fluorescent Bulbs can be dropped off at the following places:

CCI Center
64 South 14th Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
Free drop-off in the lobby

IKEA
Robinson Town Centre
Free drop off

Scott Electric
39th and Butler Street in Lawrenceville
.67 cents per bulb (also takes fluorescent tubes for a fee)

2008 HHW collection events
see their website for more information
Under .50 per bulb

Allegheny County Health Department
Clack Health Center, Building 5, Public Drinking Water and Waste Management Program
Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m
3901 Penn Ave., Lawrenceville.
Free - but for a limited time only!

For more on recycling, see this extensive site hosted by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

Author: Donald L. Gibbon
My wife kept asking me what to do with batteries when they died, and I never had a satisfactory answer. I felt guilty enough that I finally googled up an answer: for $54 I could buy a fairly long term, environmentally sound solution called a “Big Green Box.” Here’s what it says on the website http://www.biggreenbox.com :

The Big Green Box is a national program that offers companies, consumers, municipalities, and other generators, a low cost, easy, and flexible way to recycle their batteries and portable electronic devices. Once The Big Green Box is purchased, all shipping, handling, and recycling fees are included. The Big Green Box includes a UN approved, pre-labeled container, pre-paid shipping to and from the recycling facility, and of course, all recycling fees.

So I did it and I’ve got the box and now I put all my old batteries in it. And I’m inviting you to do one of two things: bring your old batteries to monthly meetings and I’ll put them in my box. Or buy one for yourself and whoever wants to join you where you live or work. Together we can make a difference!

Other ways to make a difference:
Next time you buy batteries, spend a little more and invest in rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and a charger. These batteries recharge up to hundreds or thousands of times and are just as powerful and effective as regular alkaline batteries.

Some local stores offer battery recycling. Drop off non-rechargeable household (alkaline) batteries at the E-House Company at 1511 E. Carson St. on the South Side. Take your rechargeable batteries (like the ones in cell phones, cordless phones and tools, cameras, etc.) to your nearby Radio Shack, Best Buy, or Home Depot. Dozens of other local drop-off centers/stores are listed at the website for the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation: http://www.rbrc.org.

If you have a special charger, regular “non-rechargeable” alkaline batteries can be recharged, but only about a dozen times. Buying a charger for this purpose is not as good of an investment as buying rechargeable batteries, but it’s better than throwing the batteries away.