By Cecilia Cho
If you have a collection of “hard to recycle” items, this is your weekend to find them a new home.
America Recycles Day is a nationwide initiative of Keep America Beautiful (KAB), a nonprofit organization that focuses on environmental education. The official date is Sunday, November 15, but local events span the weekend.
This year’s theme, “Bathrooms, Bags & Gadgets,” will focus on items that residents may not know they can recycle. These can include hair dryers, shaving equipment, electric toothbrushes, curling irons, microwaves, mattresses and more.
Local organizations around Kansas and Missouri are getting involved for this special day by hosting events that encourage recycling in the community.
Friday, November 13
Electronics Recycling and Paper Shredding – Bridging the Gap/Sprint Center
Bridging The Gap (BTG) and the Sprint Center are teaming up to host an electronics recycling and secure document-shredding event at the Sprint Center. Document shredding will be provided by Pro-Shred and electronics recycling will be through Secure e-Cycle. Participants can enter to win a pair of tickets to an upcoming Sprint Center event.
They will accept:
- Coffee Makers
- Curling irons
- Extension cords
- Printers
- Cable boxes
- Fans
- Clocks
- Electronics ($20 fee for TVs and $10 fee per CRT monitor)
“Making recycling easier for electronics is always really beneficial to people because a lot of people don’t think about electronics. They really only think about TVs and computers,” said Cassandra Ford, BTG business recycling program. “Anything with a cord or battery can be recycled.”
Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Sprint Center, 1407 Grand Blvd. (in front of box office), Kansas City, MO
Contact: Cassandra Ford 816-561-1091, [email protected]
America Recycles Day Celebration – City of Lawrence
Lawrence will host an America Recycles Day Celebration commemorating the one-year anniversary of Curb It With Blue, the city’s single-stream recycling collection program.
“Ninety-six percent of residents opted for curbside recycling,” said Kathy Richardson, solid waste manager for Lawrence. “But even before, there was a pretty strong recycling community in Lawrence.”
Lawrence’s Solid Waste Division is partnering with the University of Kansas Sustainability and Rock Chalk Recycling to host a family-friendly event that will include games, activities and photo opportunities with KU’s mascot, Big Jay.
Time: 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Location: Sports Pavilion Lawrence, 100 Rock Chalk Lane, Lawrence, KS
Contact: 785-832-3030, [email protected]
Saturday, November 14
Hard To Recycle Collection Event – City of Kansas City, MO
Several organizations are partnering with the city to offer recycling services, including:
- Surplus Exchange: Cell phones, printers, scanners, modems, CD drives, cables, keyboards, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, camcorders, cameras, game players and joysticks, telephones, pagers, answering machines, typewriters, calculators, adding machines, fax machines, copiers. There is a $10 fee for computer monitors and $15 fee for TVs.
- Disabled Veterans: Clothing, accessories, books, footwear, toys, linens, house wares, small appliances in good working condition
- Ripple Glass: All glass food and beverage containers of any color, including mason jars and wine glasses. Ripple Glass also offers an interactive map on its website to help residents locate permanent nearby collection sites.
- City of Kansas City, MO: Tires, yard waste, household hazardous waste (batteries, motor oil, paint and antifreeze).
- RevolveKC: Bicycles
- Truman Heritage Habitat for Humanity ReStore: Building materials, gently used furniture
- Avenue of Life: Mattresses, furniture, household appliances
- Document Resources: Off-site document shredding (documents must be in bags or boxes). Limit of 5 medium boxes or bags per person.
Time: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: 1320 Truman Road, Kansas City, MO
Contact: KCMO 311 Action Center, 816-513-1313
Electronics Recycling – Heartland Habitat ReStore
Heartland Habitat ReStore hosts an annual Electronics Recycling Event, and at least six to eight tons of electronic items get recycled each year.
The organization will accept:
- TVs
- Cell phones
- DVD players
- VCRs
- Radios
- Other electronic items (10 item limit per car)
“Anything metal that we can’t use, we sell for the scrap value and take to metal recycling centers,” said Wally Binney, ReStores vice president. “We try to get value out of anything.”
Time: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Merriam Lane ReStore, 1270 Merriam Lane, Kansas City, KS
Contact: Wally Binney, [email protected], Merriam ReStore 913-596-6597
Household Hazardous Waste & Electronic Recycling Event – Johnson County
Johnson County hosts several Saturday hazardous waste and electronic collection events throughout the year. The last event for 2015 will be November 14. Residents must schedule an appointment online (link http://hhwscheduler.jocogov.org/) in order to drop off items.
Items accepted include:
- Latex paint
- Lawn and garden
- Household cleaners
- Home repair
- Aerosol cans
- Cooking oil
- Wood stains
- Tires (4 per customer)
- Pool chemicals
- Electronics (Fees will apply for CRT and TV monitors.)
Time: 8 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Location: 5901 Jim Balls Road, Mission, KS
Contact: Johnson County Office 913-715-6900
To get more involved on America Recycles Day, KAB encourages individuals to take the “I Will Recycle” Pledge. Demonstrate your recycling spirit by posting a photo on Twitter at @KABTweet, or on Instagram @RecyclesDay or @KeepAmericaBeautiful, holding a recyclable product. Users that use the hashtags #IWillRecyle and #Sweepstakes will automatically be entered in a drawing to win one of four Apple certified refurbished iPad mini 3s. For more information, visit Keep America Beautiful.