Fall 2010 Hazardous Waste Disposal
Now is the time to get those old paints and pesticides out of your house. These free hazardous waste disposal drop-off events are for residents of Saint Louis County only. Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or a tax bill, is required.
Got Clutter?
If you’re like most people, there’s probably a bunch of stuff in your house that you no longer really want or need. Yet you just haven’t taken action on getting it out. Sometimes that’s because you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of sorting through everything to determine what you no longer need. Sometimes it’s the sheer physical stamina that it will take to get it out.
Make It A Home
Make It a Home is a dream that Jackie Swinnie has had for years. Their mission is to visit the homes of people with disabilities to determine what their needs are to make it a home. To meet their client’s needs, they collect gently used items from wherever they can find them.
Your clutter means joy to others
Is your home so filled with clutter that you don’t know where to start? You can begin by looking for things that you know you no longer want or need that you can give to someone else that desperately needs it. Why not start looking for the items that are needed by the following groups?
Unplug, Drive Up and Drop Off
Waste Management and the St Louis Cardinals are teaming up to host an “Unplug, Drive Up and Drop Off” event on the Ballpark Village parking lot, located at Walnut St and South Broadway. The public is invited to bring old electronics to the FREE Annual Downtown Unplugged event on April 29, 2010 from 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Free Shredding Event
If your filing system consists of piles of paper on the kitchen counter, or bulging file folders in an unlocked drawer, you could be setting yourself up for identity theft, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) warns.
Spring 2010 Hazardous Waste Disposal
The improper disposal of leftover household chemicals can be harmful to the environment and to public health. As a safe alternative to throwing away your leftover chemicals, bring them to one of the following collection events. Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or tax bill, will be required. These events are ONLY for residents of Saint Louis County and will be held rain or shine. Businesses are prohibited by law from participating.
That's so trashy.
I’ve always felt frustrated with the amount of unnecessary waste in the world. Whenever I buy one item from a store, or restaurant, and there is an extra 5-10 inches of paper on the receipt besides showing my purchase, it just sends me through the roof. That’s why my lunch experience yesterday inspired me to take a picture of the waste and post it here.
Wishing you green holidays!
Did you know that each year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s one million tons of extra household trash is generated every week? Here are some great green suggestions for wrapping and packaging to cut down on the excess trash.
Help for the homeless
Nikki Mitchell-Greenlee, with Rose Hill House, is collecting items for the homeless in St Louis until November 13, 2009. The area shelters only have enough room to shelter 40% of the homeless population. So that leaves 60% of that population, including men, women and children, out there to survive during the long bitter cold winter.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Now is the time to get those old paints and pesticides out of your house.
Project: JOY
I love to listening to JOY FM, a local Christian station. Each month they select a different project to focus on. Their project this month is reaching out to women who have been in prison and are in need of a fresh start. Let’s Start is a St Louis ministry that helps women adjust and re-enter society after spending time in prison. They offer peer support, education, counseling, parenting classes, etc.
Are plastic bags taking over your house?
Do you have plastic shopping bags everywhere? Falling out of pantries? Hanging out of drawers? Some in the kitchen? Some in the garage? Some in the basement?If so, this grocery bag holder is the solution. You simply wall mount this in a convenient location (mine is inside my pantry) and then you can store all of your empty plastic bags in one convenient location. It’s also great because it helps you set limits on the number of plastic bags you keep, and makes you more aware of the need to return your excess plastic bags to the store to be recycled. Realistically, you shouldn’t need any more plastic bags than this will hold.
Recycling Info at Your Finger Tips
iRecycle is a FREE iPhone application that helps you find over 100,000 recycling and disposal locations in the U.S. for over 200 materials where you can drop-off your old cell phones, water bottles, cans, motor oil, and other recyclables. Use iRecycle to get directions and find out what else they accept.
Your Unwanted Shoes Save Lives
Isn’t that a fantastic thing? Your old unwanted shoes that are just laying around in your closet can save someone’s life. Did you know you had that power? Well you do, with the help of George The Shoeman Hutchings.
Free Shredding Event
Once again, the Better Business Bureau is hosting a free shredding event. Protect yourself from identity theft. Shred-It, a Security Company is allowing free shredding of up to 3 boxes of papers. This event will be held October 17, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Schucks Market, 2222 Troy Rd, Edwardsville, IL. For more info, please call 314-645-0606.
Unwanted crutches find new home
So many times when I am working with clients, I will do whatever I can to find a new home for their unwanted stuff, rather than having it go into a landfill and be wasted. I’ve been doing some research on where I could donate 3 pairs of crutches that a client no longer needed. They are still in excellent condition.
Used Cell Phones Benefit Domestic Abuse Victims
How many old unused cell phones do you have just laying around? How many have you already just thrown away? Now you can put those unwanted phones to good use by donating them to ALIVE. Phones that can be refurbished are distributed to domestic violence victims so they have a safe way to call for help. Your unwanted stuff is really valuable to others!
Recycling: Make a difference
Recycling doesn’t end when you put your recyclables at the curb. If you follow the tips provided by the St Louis County Health Department listed below, you can make a positive difference:
Got junk?
As Membership Director and Newsletter Editor for NAPO St Louis, I have the opportunity to meet many fantastic people and companies in this industry that can help my clients.
I remember when...
I can still remember a time so vividly, almost like it happened yesterday. When in fact, it’s been closer to 20 years ago (yikes!). I was a recently divorced, single mother of two young girls, 6 months old and 3 years old. I held a very good full time job, but since we were not receiving any type of financial support from their father or my family, and I had to pay ENORMOUS daycare bills, were struggling to put it mildly.
Discarding gold, silver or platinum?
I recently had a tooth pulled that had a crown on it. The dentist told me to send the crown to Garfield Refining. They buy any gold, silver or platinum bearing items for cash on the spot. Within a week I received a check for $10.10 for my crown that I would have normally just thrown away, unaware there was another option.
Safe option for prescription meds disposal
Jefferson County P.R.I.D.E. (Partners Responsible 4 Increasing Drug Education) have planned a series of prescription medication take-back events. They will take unwanted prescription medications, specifically controlled substances, for safe disposal under federal EPA guidelines. People have thrown away or flushed unused medications in the past but they are finding traces of medication in our water supplies these days. For additional information, contact 636-464-4423.
I love a win-win situation!
At this time of year so many people are tackling their clutter filled basements. A great resource to donate your unwanted items to is OASIS International. This fantastic ministry takes your donations and passes them on to immigrants that come to the St Louis area with absolutely nothing. So many of our clients have donated unwanted furniture to OASIS International and the great part is that they will come in a truck, staffed with movers, and pick up your items for you. There is a minimal charge for this service, but our clients have all agreed that the convenience of it far outweighs the charge. You benefit from decluttering your home and the recipients of your donations benefit as well. I love a win-win situation!
Recycling Opportunities this week
Are you ready to rid your basement and garage of all that unwanted paint? If so, now is the time. This Saturday, June 6th is the last hazardous waste pick up in the St Louis area for this season. The event will be held at the South County Mall from 8:00 – 3:00. Visit our resource page for a list of acceptable and unacceptable items.
About the Author
Sue Anderson, CPO®, Owner of Simplified Living Solutions, is an expert in the professional organizing field, specializing in paper management and messy, unproductive desks, offices, home offices and filing systems.
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