By Katie Scarvey
Salisbury Post
We’re getting greener here in Rowan County, but as green goes, we’d probably be described as pistachio rather than the rich forest green that recycling advocates would like.
The good news is that in the past six months, Salisbury’s participation in the curbside recycling program is up sharply, from the one-in-five participation rate of July 2007. The bad news is that only one of three households participates.
Here are some suggestions for how to keep some common household items out of the landfill.
Eyeglasses
The eight Lions Clubs of Rowan County ó Cleveland, Franklin-Ellis, Gold Hill, Landis, Mount Ulla, Rockwell, Salisbury and Spencer ó accept eyeglasses (as well as hearing aids, cell phones and printer cartridges). There are Lions containers around the county at various locations as well as at county recycling centers. Typically, optometry offices such as the Eye Care Center also accept used eyeglasses for the Lions Club.
The eyeglasses are cleaned and classified by prescription and ultimately distributed to those in need.
Jerry Austin, secretary of the Salisbury Lions Club, says that last year, the state collected 140,000 pairs of eyeglasses.
For information, call Jerry Austin at 704-279-5061, Robert Loblein at 704-636-4766, or George Ohm at 704-637-2458.
Cell phones
By some estimates, cell phones are discarded at a rate of 125 million a year, which could result in tons of landfill garbage. Besides taking up space, the batteries and printed circuits inside each phone contain nickel, cadmium, and other toxic elements ó another good reason to keep them out of landfills.The Rape, Child and Family Abuse Crisis Council accepts used cell phones and gives them to clients for emergency use. For information about how to donate, call 704-636-4718.
Staples accepts them to send to the Sierra Club.
County recycling centers accept them as well.
Ink cartridges
Local office supply stores including Staples and Office Depot will accept these.
At Staples, if you bring in a Hewlett- Packard, Lexmark or Dell cartridge (toner or ink), you will receive a $3 merchandise coupon to use on anything in Staples. Staples does not refill ink cartridges.
Office Depot also accepts ink and toner cartridges for recycling but NOT from Epson, Brother or Canon products. They give $3 merchandise coupons for the cartridges they do accept.
Office Depot will also refill old cartridges (except for Epson, Brother or Canon) for $10.
Windsor Gallery in the Ketner Center will also refill ink cartridges. The cost runs between $7.95 and $18.95, depending on the brand.
The county will also accept ink and toner cartridges. Lions clubs also take them.
Computer equipment
Students in Training accepts used computers free of charge. They refurbish equipment, including wiping out information on the hard drive, and then get it to people and organizations that need it.
Whatever parts are unusable are disposed of in an environmentally safe way.
You can drop off your computer at the SIT office (112 B. S. Main St.) or they will come pick it up. Call ahead to make sure someone will be there. 704-637-8915.
The county also accepts old computer equipment, sending it to a Charlotte business that guarantees hard drives will be wiped clean.
Paint
The Julian Road recycling center across from the fairgrounds accepts usable paint and runs a paint swap shop.
Anybody who wants paint can come get it, says Lori Swaim of the Rowan County Department of Environmental Services.
She says the free paint would be a boon for drama clubs looking to create sets inexpensively.
Paper
Paper is “one of the hot markets right now,” Swaim says. You can recycle most kinds of paper ó junk mail, magazines, newspapers, catalogues, food boxes, cardboard boxes ó anything but paper with food residue or paper that has a waxy coating. Cardboard boxes need to be flattened.
Those who do curbside recycling should know, however, that there is a limit to the amount of cardboard they can leave curbside.
Christine Wilson found this out when she broke down all her cardboard boxes after a move and left them by the curb. She happened to look out the window when the garbage trucks were in the neighborhood to see the boxes she had painstakingly broken down go into the garbage truck. She wants curbside recyclers to know that if they have a lot of cardboard to recycle, they need to take it to the center themselves ó or leave it out a little at a time.
Plastic bottles
The county now has complete plastic bottle recycling in place, which means they can handle types 1-7.
“As long as it’s a bottle, we’ll recycle it,” Swaim says.
For now, Salisbury is only accepting 1- and 2-type bottles, which are basically soda bottles, milk jugs and bleach and detergent bottles.
Swaim says that as of January 2009, there will be a landfill ban on plastic bottles, so consumers will be required by law to recycle plastic bottles.
Glass
Clear and brown glass are taken curbside and at county recycling centers.
Wine and beer drinkers are always wanting to know about green glass recycling.
That’s still a no-go locally.
“When the economy started going bad several years ago, the recycling markets took a hit as well,” Swaim says.
“Green went from a break-even point to where they’re now charging 30 dollars a ton to take it. And we have to take it to them.”
Financially, then, it doesn’t make sense for the county to recycle green glass right now. The good news, however, Swaim says, is that some North Carolina wine makers are beginning to change their bottle colors so their material can be recycled.
Rechargeable batteries
The county centers accept these, including laptop batteries, digital camera rechargeables, and kids’ car batteries.
Staples takes them as well.
Books
One good option for unwanted books in good condition to the Rowan Public Library for their annual Friends of the Library book sale. Call 704-216-8242 for more information.
The charitable thrift stores such as those run by The Salvation Army, Goodwill, Habitat for Humanity and Nazareth Children’s Home also accept books.
Books that might not be good candidates for resale can be taken to a Rowan County recycling center. The spines are cut off and the paper is recycled.
Clothing and home textiles
The obvious recycling choice is, again, the charitable thrift stores. (The Habitat store does not accept clothing.)
The county also accepts clothing and home textiles at its recycling centers. The items go to a Salisbury company called Value Clothing, which sells the clothing in third world countries, Swaim says.
Swaim wants to make it clear that the county is not competing with the non-profit organizations that accept clothing but rather simply trying to keep usable material out of the landfill.
Propane tanks
The Julian Road recycling center takes old propane tanks.
Packing peanuts
Swaim says the county is now equipped to take styrofoam packing peanuts at the Julian Road center ó they’ve found a company that reuses them.
Mobility equipment
Wheels for the World accepts non-power wheelchairs, as well as metal canes, crutches and walkers, go to third world countries to people who might not otherwise have access to such items.
For more information, call Fred Aggers at 638-0351.
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Contact Katie Scarvey at 704-797-4270 or kscarvey@salisburypost.com.