Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

ST. ROBERT—A special waste collection for electronics and appliances will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 in St. Robert, Mo., at St. Robert Community Center, 114 J.H. Williamson Drive, St. Robert , Mo.

The collection is for household items only–no materials from businesses will be accepted.

Microwaves, hot water heaters, garbage disposals, power tools, humidifiers, and personal care items such as hair dryers and electric razors will be collected at no charge. Free electronics also include flat screen televisions and monitors, computer CPUs, keyboards, printers, VCRs, and handheld electronics such as cell phones. This collection is for anything that runs on a battery or cord.

A $10 fee will be charged for each CRT television and $5 for each CRT computer monitor.

A special collection for electronics helps keep toxic chemicals from entering local landfills. Electronics may contain toxic chemicals like lead, mercury, and cadmium. For example, old CRT televisions may contain up to eight pounds of lead.

“Ozark Rivers Solid Waste District subsidizes recycling costs, as there are simply not enough local grant funds to cover the total cost of recycling appliances and electronics.  We applaud citizens for taking personal responsibility for the solid waste they generate and we welcome the opportunity to partner with local cities, like St. Robert, to host special collection services throughout the district,” said Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC assistant director and environmental programs manager.

From the east, take I-44 west to Exit 161 for Missouri Y/I-44 spur towards St. Robert/Fort Leonard Wood. Make a left onto Missouri Avenue. Go .8 miles and make a right onto Adams Street (at Culvers Restaurant). Continue straight onto J.H. Williams Drive.

From the west: Take I-44 east to Exit 159 for I-44 Business Loop toward St. Robert. Use the right lane to merge onto I-44 Business Loop/Old Route 66. Continue for .8 miles and make a right on J.H. Williams Drive.

Program participants are required to unload items themselves. The collection is open to any households in the Ozark Rivers District, including Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. The solid waste district is tasked with reducing the amount of waste generated for disposal by 40 percent.

The city of St. Robert and Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District (ORSWMD), in partnership with Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC), are offering the collection.

For more information, questions or to learn how to set up a special collection in your community, contact Jill Hollowell at MRPC at 573-265-2993 or jhollowell@meramecregion.org.

The Ozark Rivers District includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities with populations of 500 or more. The district’s strategy for solid waste reduction, which has been individually adopted by all member governments and approved by MDNR, involves intense education and increased recycling efforts in member counties and cities.

MRPC provides the day-to-day administration for Ozark Rivers.  Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. A professional staff of 22, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance, transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans and other services to member communities. For the latest news and events from ORSWMD and MRPC, visit www.meramecregion.org or find it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion.