Get
Rolling!
March 2008
Dear Clarkson Valley
Resident,
Welcome to Clarkson
Valley’s newest program to encourage more recycling! The goal is to reduce the
amount of waste that goes to our landfills for a healthier, more environmentally
safe future. Upon request, Meridian Waste is providing all residents of Clarkson
Valley with a large, 64-gallon recycling cart free of charge.
Please look through these
guidelines on using your new cart and for a list of things that can (and cannot)
be recycled. You may be surprised to see the large variety of everyday items
that are recyclable, such as frozen dinner trays and the boxes in which they are
packed, foil wrap, and cereal boxes. Under a new collection program called
“single stream”, it is possible to put all items together in the cart
without separating them, making recycling even easier. It won’t take long to
fill your large cart with recyclables … in fact, more than 70% of your trash
is probably recyclable. The recycling cart is convenient to use and features
sturdy wheels to help you get it to the curb and a secure lid to keep pests out.
Let’s GO GREEN by
Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling! Remember … by recycling every day you can
help make Clarkson Valley a recycling leader!
Table of Contents
Welcome to Expanded
Curbside Recycling
Why Recycle?
When Can I Start Using My
New Cart?
How Much Will it Cost to
Recycle?
Do I Have to Recycle?
Can I Get a Smaller Cart?
Can I Return the Cart if
I’m Not Going to Recycle?
About Your New Cart
Cart Usage Guidelines
What Can I Recycle
Curbside?
Recycling Questions?
If you are thinking about
calling for your free, 64-gallon recycling cart, and you’re wondering how you
can possibly fill it up every week. The cart is actually the perfect size for
households, because the list of items that can be recycled has been
significantly expanded. Now you can
recycle items you may not have recycled in the past … like paperboard juice
cartons, foil wrap, and six different types of plastic containers.
You’ll be amazed at how
quickly your cart will fill up if you recycle faithfully. In fact, more than 70%
of the average resident’s trash can be recycled.
These free carts are being
provided to you by a grant obtained by the owner of Meridian Waste.
Welcome
to Expanded Curbside Recycling!
Why Recycle?
Being environmentally
“green” is more important than ever, and recycling is one of the simplest
ways that we, as individuals, can protect our environment. Recycling has the
following benefits:
It preserves natural
resources because manufacturers can reuse existing materials to make new
products ($208 million of reusable materials are dumped in Missouri’s
landfills every year!). 1
It saves energy by reducing
the need to mine and refine new raw materials (the energy needed to replace
reusable materials dumped in Missouri’s landfills every year is enough to
power 262,000 Missouri homes for a year – that’s about a $500 million energy
bill!). 1
It saves landfill space,
which helps keep waste hauling rates lower (as local landfills fill up, haulers
will have to take trash to landfills that are further away, thus increasing the
cost of transporting each load).
Recycling isn’t just
environmentally “green”. The recycling and reuse industry is also a
significant driver of economic activity in the St. Louis area, employing nearly
16,000 people with an annual payroll of $639,910,000. 2
When Can I Start Using My New Cart?
Under the new minimum
service ordinance, waste haulers are required to provide once-a-week recycling
pickup as part of your basic trash service. Clarkson Valley has been offering
this service for almost twenty years.
1 Source: Missouri
Department of Natural Resources, 2008
2 Source: St. Louis
Metropolitan Area Recycling Economic Information Study conducted by University
of Missouri-St. Louis for St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District,
2002
How Much Will It Cost to Recycle?
Your city pays the fee for
one-time-per-week curbside recycling pickup and the recycling cart you are
contemplating requesting is provided free of charge from a grant received by the
owner of Meridian Waste.
Do I Have to Recycle?
Although recycling pickup
service is part of your basic waste-hauling package, participation in the
program is voluntary. However, the
officials of Clarkson Valley hope everyone will make the choice to do what is
right for our environment once they see how easy it is to recycle.
Can I Get a Smaller Cart?
If you find that the
64-gallon recycling cart is too large (for example if you live alone and do not
generate much trash or recycling), you may still use the smaller 35-gallon cart.
If you find the 64-gallon cart to be too big, call Meridian Waste at
314-291-3131 and they will pick up the large cart and replace it with a smaller
one. You can also FAX your request
to 314-291-3133. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
Can I Return My Cart if I’m Not Going to Recycle?
Yes, if you find the
64-gallon cart to be too big, call Meridian Waste at 314-291-3131 and they will
pick up the large cart and replace it with a smaller one.
You can also FAX your request to 314-291-3133. Please allow 4-6
weeks.
This cart is designed to
keep recyclable materials in the cart while keeping animals and the elements
out. It is quiet and easy to handle, and it provides a safe and convenient way
to store your recyclable materials until your pickup day.
The cart is made of durable, extra strength, injection-molded plastic
with a minimum recycled-content of 50%, which is a good reminder that your
recycling efforts are worthwhile and that the items you recycle actually get
made into new products!
Please keep the following
guidelines in mind:
• The recycling cart is
the property of Clarkson Valley. It may only be used for accepted recyclable
items – never for trash or other items.
• The recycling cart is
assigned to the residence. Residents who move should leave the recycling cart on
the property for the next tenants or homeowners.
• You can store your cart
in the same location as you store your regular trash cans – in a garage or
behind your house, if desired. Make sure not to store your cart too close to a
furnace, fireplace, grill, or other source of excessive heat.
• When opening the cart,
always lift the lid from the front. At all other times, keep the lid closed to
keep out animals, leaves, rain, snow, and ice.
• On recycling pickup
day, roll the cart to the street curb, making sure not to place the cart too
close to obstructions such as mailboxes, utility poles, fire hydrants, or parked
cars. To maintain the appearance of your neighborhood, please remove your cart
as soon after collection as possible.
• Before rolling it to
the curb, make sure the lid is closed. Grab the handle and tilt the cart back
slightly. Now, safely and easily push or pull the cart. On inclines, always pull
the cart when going uphill and push it when going downhill.
• To clean the cart,
simply rinse with water from time to time, and let dry in the sun with the lid
open.
• The cart comes with a
one-year parts and labor warranty for any damages resulting from shipping or
materials and manufacturing defects. In the event you are experiencing a
warranty problem, please call 314-291-3131 right away to report the problem so
repair or a replacement can be scheduled. The warranty only covers damages and
defects resulting from normal use of the cart. Improper use of your cart will
void the warranty.
Glass (rinse first)
Acceptable:
• Food and beverage
containers
Unacceptable
• Light bulbs
• Mirrors, windows
• Ceramics, dishes or
drinking glasses
Aluminum and
Steel/Tin Cans (rinse first)
Acceptable
• Aluminum cans
• Clean foil
• Food or pie trays
• Any metal food cans
• Empty aerosol cans (No
hazardous chemicals)
Unacceptable
• Paint cans
• Scrap metal
• Containers only need a
quick rinse to remove most residue; they do not need to be washed.
• Cardboard should be
flattened.
• Do NOT put any of the
following in your cart:
• Containers that once
had hazardous chemicals in them, such as oil, gas, or pesticides.
• Heavily soiled
cardboard.
• Styrofoam (Polystyrene
- expanded or clear molded).
• Ribbons.
• There are other
household items, such as electronics, that can be recycled, but not curbside.
Acceptable
• Newspapers (and
inserts)
• Magazines
• Catalogs, paperback
books
• Wrapping paper
• Phone books
• Junk mail
• Office paper, file
folders and envelops
• Corrugated cardboard
(broken down to 2’ x 2’ or smaller)
• other paperboard boxes
– cereal, dry foods, beverage cases, frozen foods, gift boxes
• Waxed cardboard
Unacceptable
• No heavily soiled
cardboard
Plastics (rinse
first)
Acceptable
• Beverage containers
• Milk & juice jugs
• Laundry and liquid dish
soap bottles.
• Dairy product tubs –
butter, yogurt, margarine
• Health and beauty
containers - Check for the recycling symbol on the bottom of the container -
#1,#2,#3,#4,#5, and #7 are accepted (everything EXCEPT #6).
Unacceptable
• #6 Plastic –
Polystyrene (Styrofoam)
• Toys
• Hoses and pipes
• Films, tarps, plastic
sheets
• Hazardous chemical
containers - anti-freeze, pesticides, motor oil, paint
• Plastic bags
If you regularly recycle
the above items, you can recycle as much as 70% of your trash!
Our website shows what can
be done with some of these items not accepted through curbside recycling,
including electronics, tires, computers, and announcements of the twice-annual
household hazardous chemical events. For
questions about recycling, please visit our website: www.clarksonvalley.org
and click on "Trash Collection Basic Information". Or call City Hall
at 636-227-8607.