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Tag Archives: Landfills

Sheltered Workshops receive state recycling grants

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources funded $300,000 in grants to four Missouri sheltered workshops currently providing recycling services within their regions and local communities. The grants were awarded in partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, who made and administered the grant awards to:

  •  NOCOMO Industries Inc., Maryville – $100,000.
  •  Boonslick Industries Inc., Boonville – $99,954.
  •  Cooperative Workshops Inc., Sedalia – $50,500.
  •  Oregon County Sheltered Workshop, Alton – $49,516.

 The departments believe these grants will strengthen recycling efforts in rural communities and assist in creating and retaining jobs for Missourians as well as divert additional marketable materials from landfills.

The Department of Natural Resources was able to provide these funds through a portion of the department’s share of the solid waste tonnage fees that are collected on each ton of solid waste entering a landfill or being transferred out of state through a transfer station.

For more information regarding grants and financial assistance, visit the Solid Waste Management Program Financial Assistance and Information section.  

Posted on Apr 23, 2012

Green Tips – Gardening

 

Create a showcase for your plants by using a roller skate as a base for the plant container.  Plant summer grasses in galoshes or an old boot. An old child’s wagon or wheelbarrow makes a great mobile plant container, and a vintage bird cage can be planted and hung from a front porch for a wonderful old-fashioned look.

Buckets, soda bottles and plastic containers make excellent potting sources for small plants. Make sure the containers have proper drainage and adequate amounts of sunlight and water. Old wooden boxes, metal buckets, washtubs and hollowed-out gourds all make unique planters, and are a great way to reuse and recycle items. Cut into short pieces, metal and vinyl mini-blinds make great plant markers. Clean nylon hose is useful for tying plants to trellises or fences. Cut the bottom off a milk jug and use to protect small plants from frost.

Tires were banned from Missouri landfills in 1990. However, there are still thousands of tires that end up in illegal dumps – these dumps provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other vermin. One creative use for old tires is as planters in your garden. After very carefully cutting off one side wall on a large tire, gardeners can place the tire in their garden and fill it with soil, manure or compost. The tires retain a bit more heat to aid in growing, and when used as a raised bed they warm faster. Raised gardens can increase spring soil temperatures by 8 to 13° F over nearby soil temperatures at ground level.

Composting information can be found in the Solid Waste Management Program’s Homeowners’ Composting Guide. For additional environmentally-friendly tips, please visit Green Tips.

 

Posted on Apr 09, 2012

Pot recycling resumes

When it comes to recycling plastic pots, the Missouri Botanical Garden helps lead the way. In 2011, the Garden’s Plastic Pot Recycling program collected a record 140,000 pounds of horticultural waste and since the program’s inception has saved more than 1 million pounds of plastic garden pots, cell packs and trays from landfills. A significant portion of this program is funded by the Department of Natural Resources and Regionl L, St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District.

The main collection site will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., April through October at the Monsanto Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, 4500 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO. Recycling plastic garden pots, polystyrene cell packs and trays at the Garden and other locations throughout St. Louis City and County will help reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.

  1. Household plastic, food plastic, clay pots and plastic bags are not accepted.
  2. Hanging baskets, cell packs, trays and pots of all sizes are accepted, as long as they are made of plastic.
  3. Sort the plastic gardening containers into cell packs, pots, and trays. Remove metal hangers, rings or other materials. Please shake rocks and soil from the containers.
  4. Bring the pots and trays to the Garden’s Monsanto Center or contact local nursery and garden centers in St. Louis County to see if they accept pots for recycling.
  5. The Botanical Garden grinds up the pots and markets the chips to manufacturers who produce plastic lumber, retaining wall ties, or other recycled products.
  6. Plastic timbers are water and pest resistant. The timber can be cut and drilled similar to wooden lumber. Plastic timber outlasts traditional wooden railroad ties that have a life span of only ten to 15 years. For ordering information, visit Landscape Timbers.

For more information, visit Solid Waste Management Districts, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, Green Tips  or Homeowners’ Composting Guide.

Posted on Mar 21, 2012

Prescription drug collection boxes installed

 

New drug collection boxes were recently installed in police stations in cities across Franklin County.

Residents can now drop expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs into the secure, metal boxes located at the police stations 24 hours a day. Providing individuals with a secure and convenient way to dispose of prescription drugs will help prevent diversion and abuse and demonstrates sound environmental stewardship.

The Proper Disposal of Household Pharmaceutical Waste brochure has more information regarding drug disposal.  

If you would like more information regarding solid waste, please visit the Solid Waste Management Program website.

 

Or click for more information regarding:

 

Schedule of Local Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events; Household Hazardous Waste ; Permitted Facilities; Scrap Tires and Illegal Dumping; e-cycle Missouri or Reduce. Reuse, Recycle. 

Posted on Nov 30, 2011

Nov. 5 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event – Chillicothe

The City of Chillicothe and Livingston County is holding a Household Hazardous Waste, Electronic (E-Waste) and Scrap Tire collection event on Saturday, Nov. 5.

The event is for residential use only. No business or commercial waste will be accepted.

  • 9 a.m. until noon – Nov. 5, 2011
    County Road and Bridge Barn
    904 Gilbert Street
    Chillicothe

For more information, please contact: Ann Hamilton at (660) 359-5636, ext. 20

The fee for each residential television is $10.  The fee for computer system mice, keyboards, copy machines, printers and fax machines is $5 each. There is no charge for miscellaneous residentially generated electronics such as stereos and phones.  There is also no charge for household and rechargeable batteries, cell phones, intact car batteries, and ink cartridges (with no broken or cracked casings).

Appliances are limited to washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, ranges, ovens, microwaves, freezers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and hot water heaters. The fee for each appliance collected will be $5. Scrap metal will be collected free of charge.

Tires must be clean, free of debris and rimless when submitted. Four standard tires will be accepted per licensed driver without fee. Above the four-tire limit, additional charges are as follows:

$1 each for standard passenger tires (or smaller)

$4 each for oversized tires (sizes being 36 inches and above)

and $10 each for tractor tires.

If you would like more information regarding solid waste, please visit the Solid Waste Management Program website.  

 

Or click for more information regarding:

 

Schedule of Local Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events; Household Hazardous Waste ; Permitted Facilities; Scrap Tires and Illegal Dumping; e-cycle Missouri or Reduce. Reuse, Recycle.

Posted on Nov 04, 2011

After a Disaster –Household Chemicals and Household Hazardous Wastes

After a Disaster –Household Chemicals and Household Hazardous Wastes:

Disasters may leave behind damaged or unusable household chemicals. Products labeled POISON, DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION contain hazardous chemicals. These household hazardous wastes should be separated from other wastes before disposal. Extreme caution should be used when cleaning up damaged containers. Wear rubber gloves, avoid breathing fumes or dust and only work in a well-ventilated area. Never burn these wastes. Counties and municipalities are encouraged to provide collection programs. If one is not available, household hazardous waste may be disposed of at a permitted sanitary landfill.

In order to make the transition back to normal life easier, both individuals and governments need to have plans in place for dealing with the solid waste that accumulates during and after a disaster.  Check with your county and city officials for locations where debris is being collected.

Items like plant waste, building debris, dead animals, household hazardous wastes and tires have other options available to them besides being dumped into a landfill.

If you would like more information on open burning or other post-disaster solid waste management, please visit the Solid Waste Management Program web site.

Permitted Facilities;

Construction and Demolition Waste;

e-cycle Missouri;

Household Hazardous Waste;

Schedule of Local Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events;

Reduce. Reuse, Recycle;

Scrap Tires and Illegal Dumping

If you would like to receive information regarding hazardous waste management, please visit the Hazardous Waste Program web site.  

Posted on Sep 02, 2011

Grants, Closed Landfills

The Solid Waste Program‘s recent U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Landfills Assessment grant allowed department staff to visit more than 50 old closed landfills throughout the state and assess their current condition.  The department is working with county governments and owners of the properties to provide them with information to maintain these facilities at an acceptable and sustainable level.

 If you would like more information about Missouri Department of Natural Resource grants, you may download a PDF copy of the department’s Financial Assistance Opportunities brochure.

Landfill information is available at Permitted Facilities.  

If you would like more information about the Solid Waste Management Program, please visit our web site.

 

Posted on Aug 31, 2011

Green Tips – Green Meetings

A typical five day conference with 2,500 attendees uses 62,500 plates, 87,500 napkins, 75,000 cups/glasses and 90,000 cans and bottles. Green meetings are a good way to save money. What makes a meeting Green?

  • Incorporating environmental considerations throughout the planning and implementation process to minimize the negative impact on the environment.

Creating a green meeting:

  • Provide recycling bins in public areas and private rooms.
  • Use cloth napkins and tablecloths.
  • Use glass or ceramic coffee mugs instead of Styrofoam or paper.
  • Use water coolers instead of bottled water. 
  • Donate extra food and refreshments to local shelters or food banks.
  • Serve locally grown or organic food if possible. (Locally grown is usually within 100 mile radius.)
  • Use online invitations or registration.
  • Collect and reuse plastic nametag holders.
  • Use reusable or recyclable signage.
  • Place exhibitor information on CD or online to cut down on handouts.

Transportation

  • Minimize travel requirements.  A shorter distance equals less environmental impact.
  • Encourage public transportation when possible, and provide incentives to guests in the form of free passes for buses, light rail, etc.
  • Schedule activities within walking distance of each other.

 

For additional environmentally-friendly tips, please visit Green Tips.

Posted on Aug 05, 2011

Tire Dump Round-Up program

If you have more than 500 and less than 10,000 illegal scrap tires on your property, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources can help.  Through its Tire Dump Round-Up program, the department is offering qualified property owners the opportunity to have scrap tires cleaned up free of charge. The program is funded by the state’s 50-cent-per-tire scrap fee paid when new tires are purchased in Missouri. Other financial incentive programs are available to those who do not qualify for this program.

 

Program criteria for private property owners:

• Scrap tire dump must contain 500 – 10,000 tires.

• The owner is required to sign an access agreement stating that if a property owner violates the solid waste management law in the future the department can proceed with assessing penalties and incident cost recovery.

• Active businesses and property owners who have participated in prior cleanup initiatives are not eligible.

 

The department will continue to work with Solid Waste Districts and not-for-profit citizens groups in cleaning up dumps with less than 500 tires.

 

Scrap tire dumps pose serious threats to human health and the environment. Insects and rodents that grow and breed in these dumps can transmit diseases, such as West Nile Virus. Tire dump fires can release hazardous substances into the air, land and water.

 

Recycled scrap tires can provide several beneficial uses, including rubberized asphalt, playgrounds, running tracks and walking trails.

 

For more information or to sign up, contact the Solid Waste Management Program’s Scrap Tire Unit at 800-361-4827 or 573-751-5401 or visit us at Tire Dump Round-Up.

 

 For more information regarding scrap tires, please visit: Scrap Tires and Illegal Dumping  

 

For more information regarding solid waste management, please visit: Solid Waste Management Program  

Posted on Jul 26, 2011