Shelby County Public Works to Recycle Holiday Trees

Shelby County will again operate a recycling center for holiday trees and greenery.

From December 22 through January 11, 2013, trees, wreaths and other greenery free of lights and decorations may be dropped off at any time in the south parking lot of the Showplace Arena, 105 South Germantown Road.

“We want citizens to take advantage of this free service.  It will help prevent many of these trees and other items from being dumped along the roadsides,” said Tom Needham, Director of Shelby County Public Works.

The trees and greenery will be turned into mulch and will be available to citizens next spring and fall during Earth Day events.

The recycling initiative is funded by a litter removal grant from the State of Tennessee Department of Transportation. 

This is the 14^th year for the holiday recycling program.  It’s part of Shelby County’s “Sustainable Shelby” plan, which focuses on ways to conserve energy and protect natural resources.

For more information, contact Lisa Williams with the Shelby County Public Works Environmental Program at (901) 222-7770.

Downtown Electronics Recycling Drive Nov. 15

For the third consecutive year, the Downtown Memphis Commission is partnering with 5R Processors Ltd. to celebrate America Recycles Day with a Downtown Electronics Recycling Drive on Thursday, November 15 from 3 – 6:30pm at the Central Station pavilion (Front and GE Patterson).

Acceptable items include computers, televisions, printers, cameras, cell phones, VCRs, and CD/DVD players. A complete list of acceptable items can be found online. Most items can be recycled free of charge. Fees will be applied for the following items:

• Wood console TVs, $30
• Projection TVs, $30
• Wooden speakers, $10
• TVs or computer monitors with broken glass, $10
• Bare CRT tubes, $10

All computer hard drives will be cleaned using Department of Defense-approved processes, and a certificate of hard-drive cleaning will be available, if desired, for $10 per drive.

This event is open to the public, and there is no limit to the number of items that an individual or business can bring for recycling.

The Downtown Electronics Recycling Drive is presented by Downtown Memphis Commission, 5R Processors Ltd., and MATA.

Volunteers are needed to help unload cars on event day. For more information, contact:

Dawn Vinson, Director of Marketing and Special Events
Downtown Memphis Commission
901.575.0555
vinson@downtownmemphis.com

New Recycling Company Springs From Old Mattresses

Old mattresses are among the worst kinds of household waste: Most recycling companies won't touch them, and landfills would rather not. But a new business in Nashville that started as a college project hopes to move mattress recycling into the mainstream — and employ former convicts in the process.

Cutting into a mattress at Nashville's Spring Back workshop, Ron Harness runs his box cutter around a queen-size bed to fillet the fabric, in a process he admits is labor intensive. Even the best processing machines can only chew up a used mattress; recycling one requires manual labor.

Read the full story here.

Green News

Our Commercial and Lighting Services is currently assisting the Memphis Zoo in prioritizing their facilities for efficiency improvement opportunities. The department will soon use TVA's Energy Right Solutions for business programs to provide the zoo with technical advice and financial assistance that will help them reach their goal of "going green."

The Commercial Appeal covered this and more in today's Green section: Recycling, cutting energy waste, educating public among Memphis Zoo's green efforts.

Also of note, there is a nice piece called What to do with stuff that doesn't go in recycling bin. I have pasted below. I'm especially glad to know about the tattered clothes.

What to do with stuff that doesn't go in recycling bin

Stumped on what to do with stuff you can't toss in the recycling bin? Here are my top 5 solutions to your recycling problems.

Lightbulbs: CFLs -- or compact fluorescent light bulbs -- should never be thrown away because they contain a small amount of mercury.

There are several big companies that have convenient drop-off sites and will recycle them responsibly. Lowe's, Home Depot and Ikea stores have in-store recycling bins for unbroken CFLs, and many full service-recycling centers also accept them.

Plastic bags: The last thing you should do with plastic bags and baggies is throw them away. They take thousands of years -- if not more -- to break down in a landfill. Instead, reuse them first. Even the smallest plastic baggies can be rinsed out and used again.

You can return most plastic shopping bags for recycling at almost all grocery stores. And those stores (along with Wal-Mart and Target) also accept newspaper bags, plastic wraps and plastic sandwich bags labeled with a 4 plastic resin code. Just check with your local store for details.

Batteries: They should never be thrown away because they contain heavy metals that can contaminate land and water. Instead, recycle those prized materials responsibly.

Only a handful of curbside recycling programs accept batteries, but there are many retailers and full-service recycling centers that will take your old batteries.

Earth911.org and the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. both provide online directories to help you find battery recyclers near where you live.

Tattered clothing: Most of us have given away boxes of good clothing to Goodwill or other charitable organizations. But what about old clothing or things like rags, bedding or towels that are too worn out to be reused?

Well, Goodwill wants them, too, so long as the material is not wet or contaminated with chemicals. These items are sorted and sold for recycling or other uses, such as sofa stuffing.

Ink and toner cartridges: Every year, hundreds of millions of ink and toner cartridges are used in this country. And 70 percent of those end up in our landfills. Printer cartridges are easily refilled and recycled.

You can also get paid to turn in your old cartridges. You can earn anywhere from a few cents to $20 or more per cartridge.

There are a number of online sources that will supply a prepaid shipping label to mail accepted cartridges in exchange for cash. Or you can turn in your used cartridges for recycling at Office Max, Staples and Office Depot and earn a few dollars of store credit.

Community Shred Day

Get an early start on Earth Day by taking advantage of a free document shredding service this month.

Cintas Document Management and Cadence Bank are hosting the fifth-annual "Community Shred Day" event on April 19, 22 and 26.

Memphis residents and businesses can bring unwanted documents to the events, where Cintas will securely shred them for free.

The Cadence branch at 7878 Farmington Blvd. will accept documents April 19 from 9 a.m.-noon; the branch at 1516 Union Ave. will accept documents on April 22 from 9 a.m.-noon; and the 591 S. Mendenhall branch on April 26 from 9 a.m.-noon.

Shredding sensitive documents like bank statements, etc. can reduce identity theft issues and the load on local landfills. All of the paper received at these events are recycled into paper pulp for re-use. During last year's event, over 50,000 pounds of documents were shredded.

The "Community Shred Day" limits each person to five boxes of paper documents.

Today is America Recycles Day!

America Recycles Day is today, and the Center City Commission is sponsoring an e-waste drop off at Central Station from 3-6:30pm. Check it out!

Click to biggify:

E-Cycle Event

America Recycles Day is November 15th and the Center City Commission is sponsoring an e-waste drop off at Central Station from 3-6:30pm.

Click to biggify:



Also, the Commercial Appeal ran a good story on reusing old cellphones yesterday. Read it here: Recycling phones can save animals.

Trash Cans & Recycle Bins

Photo by Gary Bridgman

The City is changing its rules for trash collection. This story in the Commercial Appeal states that people who need a second bin must soon pay $5 per month extra.

The article states, "The new program could also encourage recycling since there will now be a cost for extra waste."

I hope this is true. Ever since the City started allowing curbside recycling of cardboard, greyboard, paper (including junkmail), newspapers, magazines, etc. I have had a very hard time filling up my big green bin. In fact, I had to request a second recycling bin.

In California the recycling bins are the size of our trash bins.

For a reminder of what can and can't be recycled curbside in Memphis click here.

Recycling Rewards Program

I love this idea--getting rewarded for recycling. And look at the size of those bins! From today's Commercial Appeal...the article states this program will be coming to Shelby County soon.

Southaven rolls out curbside recycling program designed to reward residents
By Yolanda Jones


Photo by Stan Carroll

A big, blue trash can is joining the pink ones and green ones along curbs in Southaven.

On Monday, the city's curbside rewards-for-recycling program officially started when the 96-gallon, blue, wheeled recycling carts were delivered to some households.

The city is the first in Mississippi and the first in the Mid-South to implement a rewards-recycling program.

Called RecycleBank, the program allows residents to earn reward points by tossing junk mail, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, metal and aluminum cans and glass and plastic bottles into a single recycling bin rather than in with the trash.

The material is weighed and residents receive points, which can be redeemed for discounts coupons, 2-for-1 purchase options, cash value certificates and even gift cards at grocery stores, restaurants, national chains and several local businesses.

The program is free to residents for three months -- October, November and December. Residents must decide whether to opt out of the program by Dec. 1 or pay the $6.25-per-month fee that will be added to their city water bills next year.

Over the next two weeks, the 16,000 recycling bins will be delivered to households throughout Southaven.

On Monday, crews with Waste Connections, the Knoxville-based solid-waste company that is implementing the program, began delivering the bins.

The new bins have bar codes and computer identification chips that will be used to track the amount of waste recycled by each household. Residents will be able to track their recycling points online or by calling RecycleBank.

"We are excited because the mayor and board of aldermen have been committed to recycling for a while, and this rewards program is a big next step for us," said Bradley Wallace, Southaven's director of operations. "We are hoping that the rewards program motivates residents to stay in the program after the free trial period ends. If they do, they will not only get discounts and coupons, but they will help keep a lot of waste out of the landfill."

Ernest Powell's North Creek Golf Course neighborhood off of State Line Road was the first to receive the recycling bins.

"It sounds like a good idea," Powell said as he watched crews delivering the bins on his street. "I'm willing to try it because nothing beats a failure except a trier."

Last year, Oak Ridge became the first city in Tennessee to join the RecycleBank program. RecycleBank, a New-York based company, is working with Waste Connections and offers the rewards recycling program in 300 communities in 26 states.

Roland Joyner, operations manager with Waste Connections, said they plan to offer the rewards recycling program to subscription customers soon in Shelby County, south Tipton County and western Fayette County.

-- Yolanda Jones: (901) 333-2014

Southaven's Curbside RecycleBank Program

Residents are urged to start collecting recyclables now.

If recycling bins have blue stickers, the recycling pickup begins the week of Oct. 4. If the bins have green stickers, the pickup begins the week of Oct. 11.

After that, recycling pickup will be every other week and will be the same day as residents' regular trash-day pickup.

For more information go to southaven.com or call (662) 280-2489.

For more information or to sign up for the RecycleBank program, go to RecycleBank.com or call (888) 727-2978.

Say No to Styrofoam

Great commentary in today's Commercial Appeal about ditching styrofoam. My personal solution to keeping drinks cold is using a stainless steel straw.


Commentary: Styrofoam: No good for us, our food, our Earth
By Melissa Petersen, Special to the Commercial Appeal

I am particular about how I like my drinks served. I prefer beer in a bottle. Coffee belongs in an enormous mug. I like to see the tea and the ice cubes melt together in a tall glass. And somehow, a mint julep tastes better from a silver cup (even if it's just plated like mine).

Not a single drink is enhanced by being served in a Styrofoam cup.

We're not even talking about why Styrofoam is bad yet. I'm just focusing on what goes into it. The same could be said about food in Styrofoam. It doesn't keep French fries crispy (even McDonald's figured out years ago that paper works best). Styrofoam's slightly plastic flavor seems to seep into hot soup. It doesn't keep a salad crisp. Don't even try to wash and reuse it -- it won't work. So why is Styrofoam so prevalent in our food system if it doesn't really do anything good for the food and drink?

Styrofoam has a single, valuable quality -- Styrofoam is cheap.

I've heard people claim that Styrofoam keeps their high fructose-laden drink colder and I truly hope that a few degrees of coldness are worth an eternity of landfill space. Paper breaks down in a landfill. Aluminum, glass and many types of plastic are recyclable. But Styrofoam is here forever, taking up space, and leaching toxins into our food and our environment.

But coffee is too hot to hold in a paper cup.

But in the summer in Memphis, my drink won't stay cold in the car if it's not in Styrofoam.

But to-go food clamshells made from sustainable materials are too expensive.

But, but, but. It's just laziness and apathy that keep us from demanding better solutions. Styrofoam is banned in more than 100 cities across the U.S. (Portland, Ore., was smart enough to ban it back in 1990) for very good reasons. Styrofoam is bad for us, bad for wildlife who ingest its litter and bad for the environment.

Going green could be as simple as eliminating the Styrofoam from your diet.

Ask for to-go containers that are not Styrofoam (foil and paper work great). If enough people start asking, food service companies will start listening. Bring your own cup for coffee. Don't complain when the restaurants that are using compostable containers charge you a measly 50 cents. They are paying more to be environmentally conscious, and as more restaurants switch to eco-friendly containers, the price will come down, and it will be a moot point. Go hardcore and let places know that if they use Styrofoam, you won't patronize them.

I understand the food-service industry operates on small profit margins, but this is one point where we need to demand better and be willing to put our money where our mouths are, or to find safe, environmentally friendly alternatives.

I recently talked to a restaurant owner who really wanted to avoid the Styrofoam clamshells for to-go orders and leftovers, but was having a difficult time justifying the extra expense of eco-friendly containers. The solution was amazingly simple. It turns out that cardboard trays and foil actually secured the product better. No added expense. No toxins in the landfill.

Going green doesn't have to be complicated or expensive.

Take your pick: cheap and toxic Styrofoam, or something that may cost a few cents more.

It sure would be nice to enjoy food and drink from a suitable container that won't make us, our kids or the Earth sick. All you have to do is make a choice.

Melissa Petersen is the editor of Edible Memphis Magazine and a board member of Project Green Fork, an organization that helps local food-service establishments operate more sustainably. For a list of restaurants that have committed to eliminating Styrofoam from their operations, go to projectgreenfork.org.

Think Again

The following article (and photo) are from The Onion, a satirical newspaper, but in this case it is right on.

'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder


WASHINGTON—Wishing to dispose of the empty plastic container, and failing to spot a recycling bin nearby, an estimated 30 million Americans asked themselves Monday how bad throwing away a single bottle of water could really be.

"It's fine, it's fine," thought Maine native Sheila Hodge, echoing the exact sentiments of Chicago-area resident Phillip Ragowski, recent Florida transplant Margaret Lowery, and Kansas City business owner Brian McMillan, as they tossed the polyethylene terephthalate object into an awaiting trash can. "It's just one bottle. And I'm usually pretty good about this sort of thing."

"Not a big deal," continued roughly one-tenth of the nation's population.
Enlarge Image What America's Thinking?

According to the inner monologue of millions upon millions of citizens, while not necessarily ideal, throwing away one empty bottle probably wouldn't make that much of a difference, and could even be forgiven, considering how long they had been carrying it around with them, the time that could be saved by just tossing it out right here, and the fact that they had bicycled to work once last July.

In addition, pretty much the entire states of Missouri and New Mexico calmly reassured themselves Monday that they definitely knew better than to do something like this, but admitted that hey, nobody is perfect, and at least they weren't still using those horrible aerosol cans, or just throwing garbage directly on the ground.

All agreed that disposing of what would eventually amount to 50 tons of thermoplastic polymer resin wasn't the end of the world.

"It's not like I don't care, because I do, and most of the time I don't even buy bottled water," thought Missouri school teacher Heather Delamere, the 450,000th caring and progressive individual to have done so that morning, and the 850,000th to have purchased the environmentally damaging vessel due to being thirsty, in a huge rush, and away from home. "It's really not worth beating myself up over."

"What's one little bottle in the grand scheme of things, you know?" added each and every single one of them.

Monday's plastic-bottle-related dilemma wasn't the only environmental quandary facing millions of citizens across the country. An estimated 20 million men and women wondered how wasteful leaving a single lightbulb on all night really was, while more than 40 million Americans asked themselves if anyone would actually notice if they just turned up the heat a few degrees instead of walking all the way downstairs and getting another blanket.

Likewise, had they not been so tired, and busy, and stressed, citizens making up the equivalent of three major metropolitan areas told reporters that they probably wouldn't have driven their minivans down to the corner store.

"Relax," thousands upon thousands of Americans quietly whispered to themselves as they tossed two articles of clothing into an empty washing machine and turned it on. "What are you so worried about?"

Depleted funds end Memphis, Shelby County used tire program

From today's Commercial Appeal...

Depleted funds end Memphis, Shelby County used tire program
By Amos Maki

After just three days in operation, the Memphis-Shelby County Tire Redemption Program will end today after an overwhelming community response drained the $100,000 in funding.

"We're victims of our own success," said Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, who created the program along with City Council chairman Harold Collins.

People in line by noon today at Mac's Tire Recycling Center at 3000 Elvis Presley will still be given vouchers to redeem for payment, but that will end the program, which began Friday. People who show up after noon today will not get a voucher, but they can still dispose of their tires at the facility.

Mulroy said his passion for the program was "untiring" and that he and Collins would probably ask the council and commission for more funds to continue the program when they reconvene in January.

Under the program, which was designed to get citizens to clean up illegal tire dumps that mar many inner-city neighborhoods, Memphis and Shelby County residents could get $1 for each used tire they disposed of properly.

On Friday, there was a two-hour wait to enter the tire facility and 14,000 tires were collected. Collins said that as of 8 this morning, over 40,000 tires had been collected.

"It provided some much-needed help to residents who were struggling to make ends meet, and it helped clean up our neighborhoods," said Collins. "Those are things government can do if it is done right."

Rethinking Trash Into Inspired Art

Treehugger has an awesome slideshow from the Smart Art competition held in San Francisco. Artists were challenged to redesign discarded items into art and everyday functional items.

There are speakers made from old suitcases, a dress made from old Crown Royal bags, a lawn made from aluminum scrap, the awesome planters below, and more! Check it out.

My only question--can you water the plants without ruining these?

Recycled Jeans

There's a new business on South Main focused on recycling jeans. No, they aren't making eco-friendlyinsulation--they're giving new life to old jeans by freshening them up with colorful fabric and inspirational messages. Best of all, Thigh High Jeans donates 50% of its profits to charity. (Check the website for details.) They also accept jean donations, so think of them when you clean out your closet.

Cork Reindeer

So maybe you put your tree up the day after Thanksgiving. You could probably still use one more ornament, right? Wannabe Wino posted this cute reindeer she made from old wine corks, and I wanted to pass it on as an eco-friendly tree trimming/gift idea.


Here's what you need to recreate this little cutie:

4 corks (2 that are of equal size for the legs)

1 brown pipe cleaner

1 red puff ball (nose)

1 larger brown puff ball (tail)

Decorative ribbon for neck and body if desired

Twine to make the hanger

2 googly eyes

Glue gun

Plastic Bag Fabric

Obviously we're feeling a bit crafty here. Check out the cute purses below made entirely from plastic bags! All you need to make this is a few plastic bags, an iron, and wax paper. Read the detailed "how to" here.

Bows

The holiday/gift giving season is upon us. I like wrapping presents in old newspaper, especially the comics. Now I've found the perfect topper--a bow made from a colorful magazine page. Check out this tutorial. Cute and easy!

LED Light Exchange

Home Depot began its second annual Eco Options Christmas Light Trade In event last Thursday. Customers can bring in their old working or non-working holiday light strings to be recycled and receive a $3 off coupon towards the purchase of energy efficient seasonal light-emitting diodes (LED) string lights. Customers must purchase their new LED lights between November 5 and November 15 and are limited to five redemptions.

LED lights are shown to use 80 percent less electricity than standard mini lights and last up to 10 times longer. This holiday season, The Home Depot will carry traditional white and multicolored ENERGY STAR qualified LED lights that offer superior connectivity - allowing consumers to link up to 87 strands (or one-quarter mile) of lights off of one outlet without the scare of overloading the circuit.

Anthony Pack

I met Anthony Pack at River Arts Fest a few weekends ago. I just love the way he turns old cans and silverware and who knows what else into lovable robots. Upcycling trash into treasure is one of my favorite things. Here's a sampling of his work from his Flickr site.


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Recycle old tires and get $1 each

It doesn't sound like a lot of money, but hopefully this program will pay off. From today's Commercial Appeal...


Shelby County to combat illegal tire dumping with rewards, restrictions
By Daniel Connolly

To combat illegal tire dumping, the Shelby County Commission passed an ordinance Monday that puts new restrictions on tire businesses and pays people $1 for each discarded tire they turn in.

The commission's 9-0 vote sends the measure to acting Mayor Joyce Avery for her signature.

The Memphis City Council is considering a similar proposal.

The reward program will last one year, but the government could vote to renew it.

Citizens will likely jump at collecting the tires that litter vacant lots and other sites throughout Memphis, said Jeffrey T. Higgs, executive director of the Lemoyne-Owen College Community Development Corp., which aims to renew a blighted part of South Memphis.

"I think you're going to see some folks in pickup trucks who are going to go around picking up these tires," Higgs said.

The ordinance is meant to combat several problems. A major one is the illegal dumping of tires by truck drivers who are paid to take them to a recycling center.

Under the new rules, truck drivers will only be paid if they present proof that they disposed of tires properly. Businesses will be required to keep records of how they got rid of tires.

Another problem the ordinance is meant to address is the illegal resale of worn-out tires. Tire businesses will have to make waste tires unusable, probably by slashing them, said Commissioner Steve Mulroy, who sponsored the measure.

Among the ordinance's other requirements is that tire businesses must register with the city, pay a licensing fee, and be open to random inspections.

Those who break the rules -- for instance, by dumping tires -- could face fines of up to $50 per tire.

And most notably, the ordinance sets up the fund to reward people who recycle. Mulroy said both the city and the county are chipping in $50,000 each toward a reward fund, though that amount isn't included in the ordinance that passed Monday.

Mulroy anticipates that the number of tires lying around Memphis will diminish as people start hauling them in. Eventually, the dumping will level off.

"We'll still have illegally dumped tires, but it won't be a chronic problem," he said.

No tire industry representatives came to the meeting Monday to speak against the proposal. Mulroy said the tire business people he met with supported the rules.

"They said, 'We are the legitimate businesses. The problem is our fly-by-night competitors,' " Mulroy recalled.

Tire recycling

For now, Shelby County is working with just one recycling center: Mac's Tire Recyclers at 3000 Elvis Presley Blvd, 396-5448.

The business apparently isn't set up yet to pay rewards for tires. A voice mail recording on Monday says it neither buys nor sells tires.

Shelby County plans to work with Memphis to enforce the ordinance.