January 2012

eRecycling is back


We can NOT accept glass!! I know we could for a while and I will continue to work on getting glass recycling back but for now we can't take your glass so please do not bring it the trailer. 
 

eRecycling Location

USDA Building
301 South Third Street
Vandalia, IL 62471

NEW RECYCLING PROGRAM

   FAYCO
   1313 Sunset Drive
   Vandalia, IL 62471

eRecycling is held every Wednesday from 1:00-5:00 at the SWCD Office. A partial list of accepted items can be found by clicking here. We can take about any item that plugs into the wall or is battery operated except what is classified as a white item, such as washers, dryers and freezers, etc. If you have any questions about whether we take an item please feel free to call 618-283-1095 ext. 3.

Paper Recycling - We are no longer in charge of the paper, plastic, and cardboard recycling. We have turned this program over to Fayco, which will be a wonderful thing for them as well as for the City and County residents.  Everyone will be able to drop off recycling daily beginning September 1st. According to Fayco they will have recycling bins at their building, available for drop-off from 7:00 am until 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday and 8:00 am - 4:00 pm on Saturday. They have also expanded their operation to include recycling areas in the following towns: Ramsey, Brownstown, St. Peter and Farina, so if you live in one of these towns you don't even have to tote it to Vandalia. GREAT NEWS!!!! No more storing it up for a month until we can get a semi to load it into. Just remember this is a new program just like when we first started our monthly recycling program and it could have a few bugs in the beginning so be patient. It would be beneficial also if everyone would make sure things were sorted a little, if possible. ALSO, NO TRASH.  I know the true recyclers wouldn't dream of dumping trash in the bins but there are some that don't care, so make sure to keep an eye on things when you drive by just to make sure things are staying on the straight and narrow.

A little history on our recycling program:
The first Saturday recycling was held on November 14, 2009, at the old Twisters building and we filled about 16 Gaylord Boxes. The second recycling day was held on December 12th at the old Kroger Building and we were able to beat the first recycling day by 3 boxes, we took in 19 Gaylord boxes. There are Gaylord Boxes for paper, magazines, books, tin, cardboard and plastic.  From that small beginning we grew to filling a semi a month until we were able to fill 2 semi's a month. That's when we knew it was time to  pass the torch to someone else, and Fayco took the program over.

It has taken a lot for me to understand the importance of recycling, but now it is a big part of me. I think it drives several people in my family nuts but I stress it all the time. So, I am going to stress the need for reusable shopping bags with all of you as well. It's not just the ease of carrying them over a plastic bag, it's the cost of all of the plastic bags that you would use in the same length of time as you would have your cloth bag. Plus, the fact that it takes about a 1000 years for a plastic bag to degrade in the landfill. So, wouldn't it be better for the next generation if we could at least say that we tried to help them with at least this one thing? Give it a try, who knows you may like it!

Plastic & Glass Recycling -  Fayco will be taking your plastic on their regular recycling days. Kendrick Paper has been working very closely with us to get this recycling program off the ground and running. To them I would like to say a huge THANK YOU to Debbie for all her help!! I'm not sure where the program would have gone without their help. Also, to John Sanders and his loyal group of volunteers from the Oak Valley Youth Group, you are all a terrific group to work with and I greatly appreciate every hot and cold day that you spent working with us.

AND NOW FOR THE GREAT NEWS - After a bunch of phone call and a lot of NO's!!! I have to give credit where credit is due, as much as it pains me, Tony found a company - I just made the phone call to get the information. We have found a location that will take glass. Veolia Environmental Services in Charleston, Illinois is going to recycle the glass for us. Now, for the basic information that everyone is really wanting to know. You can take your glass to the Kluthe Center in Effingham, there is a recycling bin that hold all recyclables, just put the glass in along with the everything else and they will separate it when it is picked up. The following are the glass items that are acceptable: clear, brown, blue and green glass bottles and jars or just about any color  - BUT NO WINDOW GLASS, AUTO GLASS, DINNERWARE OR CERAMICS!! It doesn't matter if they are broken or not because they will get broken once they are put in the recycling container. You do not need to worry about the paper being removed either, it can still be on the bottles and jars. According to the vendor it will be removed at a later time if it is still attached. This new venture should make things even more fun and interesting for a while and the added plus is that we will be able to prevent more garbage from going into the landfills.

50 reasons to use reusable shopping bags - Squawkfax by Kerry Taylor
 

De-Cluttering

I was being lazy the other night and just looking through a few magazines and found some interesting articles on ways to de-clutter responsibly.  Now, I know what everyone is thinking!! No, I am not talking about getting organized. These were places that you could get rid of all your old video games, cell phones, printers and everything else that you have been storing that still works so you just hate to just toss it in the eRecycling. I thought it was interesting that there were places that would send me a box and pay the shipping to get things that I know longer use or want plus they pay me cash for them. And the added benefit is that I get some of the storage area back.

There are several sites that you can checkout. They all vary in price and the way they do things so make sure you look at each one before you decide which one will work for you. Hopefully you can make a little free space in your storage area and add a little cash to your wallet.

Gazelle.com - this site help people and organizations to fundraise online with what they call a Gadget Drive.
NextWorth.com - Similar to Gazelle in its fundraising online they also recycle items that have no cash value
MyBoneYard.com - Click the item you have, condition, accessories and get an instant quote on cash paid.
Call2Recycle.com - Check here for local recyclers in you area
cristina.org - This nonprofit takes your old tech stuff and matches it with needy schools and other organizations.
Reconnectpartnership.com - Goodwill and Dell teamed up so you can donate old computers to Goodwill. Search here for a location near you.
MyGreenElectronics.org - Dedicated to boosting eco-awareness about everything electronic.


Please check back soon for further updates.
 

301 South Third Street
Vandalia,  IL  62471
618-283-1095 ext. 3
Karen Sanders - fayettecountyswcd@att.net
Tony Pals - tony.pals@il.nacdnet.net
Jamie Elmore - jamie.elmore@il.nacdnet.net