Historical March 1992 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. What can we do with it? Recycling is a 90’s focus. Magazines, newspapers, and television tell us the landfills are nearly full. Missouri says we can’t put yardwaste in the dumpsters. Modern packaging seems designed so the package is much bigger than the product.
Some examples of this: CD’s, most handtools and anything smaller than a breadbox. So what do we do with stuff, stuff, and more stuff? Our family has been actively recycling for the past couple of years with varying degrees of enthusiasm and success.
I have discovered that recycling reduces the number of bags taken to the dumpster. Because our kitchen has a techno-toy (also known as a trash compactor), I don’t have to empty a trash can every three days anyway. But, ‘since we began active recycling I carry out the compactor bag about twice a month instead of once a week.
The question then becomes, “What am I doing with the stuff that used to go to the dumpster?” Start with the obvious. Newspapers, soda bottles, gallon milk cartons, aluminum cans, glass, and cardboard are fairly easy to recycle.
For over a year I have made a monthly trip to the Circus Recycling Center on Kingshighway where all these things are accepted.
It took me about 2 hours of time every month to load up my Bronco, drive over, unload and come home.
But in January that procedure changed with the advent of Jerry Witter’s Earthcircle Recycling.
For $5 a month Jerry will pick up all the materials that I have been taking to Circus and he picks up twice a month.
Most Times readers received a flyer on Earthcircle in the January issue and if any of you have been trying to decide whether the service was worth it, please read on.
In my view his service is wonderful. Pickup occurs on the first and third Sunday of each month.
It takes me 15 or 20 minutes to collect everything and carry it out to the curb from whence it magically disappears. Being cost conscious I value my free time at $20 an hour (and cheap at the price).
A monthly trip to Circus was $40 of my time. Earthcircle Recycling costs me $5 a month. Savings $35. And the cost can go down. Jerry bases his fee on the number of households per block using the service.
If I can convince some of my neighbors to sign up, then my savings (and theirs) becomes greater.
If this sounds like a commercial it may be, but I assure you I am not getting a commission for each new customer. You can reach Jerry Witter at 644-3247. Earthcircle takes a lot of materials but I find myself looking at the trash I still carry out and seeking alternatives for what Earthcircle doesn’t collect.
I have found some places to recycle other materials. Mailboxes, Etc. on DeBaliviere will be happy to take styrofoam popcorn— you know, the stuff that your purchases are packed in to prevent the shippers from destroying it before you get a chance. Since we do a lot of shopping by mail and 1-800, we find ourselves accumulating this popcorn and I am delighted to find someone willing to reuse it.
Another product that we recycle is coat hangars. Everyone knows that hangers breed in the back of closets and now I have a way to clear them out without contributing to the landfill.
I have my shirts done at Delmar Cleaners and they re-use the wire and paper covered hangers.
They won’t take the cardboard tube hangers (pants hangers) but those don’t breed nearly as rapidly as the plain wire ones. Schnuck’s will take styrofoam egg cartons.
There is a rack in the store by the eggs for you to drop off your container. Last (but certainty not least) for those of us who buy coffee and tea from Classical Coffee, Lois Clay is giving a small discount if you bring your bag back for your next purchase.
I now have one bag that has been to Classical Coffee eight times. AM Tea & Coffee gives a similar rebate.
I admit to feeling pretty good about this family’s effort, but I am still looking for places to recycle other materials. Number one on my list is someone who will take slick, glossy paper. Between the number of magazine subscriptions, mail order catalogs, and the sales ads from Venture, Target, etc. we have a ton (hyperbole) of this every month. Number two is all the other plastic materials besides milk jugs, etc.
If anyone has found places to dispose of these materials and others that I haven’t covered in this article, I would really like to hear from you. Send a note to me in care of The Times to the Skinker DeBaliviere Council office.
My goal in this is to get my dumpster trips down to one a month. Everyone needs a goal in life. •
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, March 1992.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1992_03.pdf, printed page(s) 7; PDF page(s) 7.
