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Council Presentation - Single Stream Recycling and other Cost Reduction Initiatives
Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
In 1973, University City became one of the first municipalities in the country to offer curbside recycling to its residents. Since then, the program has continued to expand. Today, the city owns its own Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), an outdoor Recycling Drop-off Center and a fleet of recycling vehicles to provide curbside and alley pickups of recyclables to all residents.
Recycling Drop-Off Center
A 24-hour Recycling Drop-Off Center is located at the north rear parking lot of the Heman Park Community Center (975 Pennsylvania ). The drop-off center is available every day and accepts the items listed below:
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· Gift Wrap Paper
· Paperback Books
· Newspaper
· Magazines, Catalogs
· Junk Mail, Posters
· Office And Computer Paper
· Fax Paper, Manila Folders
· Envelopes (with or without windows)
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· Plastics (#1 to #7, not #6 - can accept items that fit into container)
· Glass Bottles and Jars
· Aluminum and Steel/Tin Cans, Aerosol Cans (empty cans)
· Paperboard/Boxboard (cereal boxes and beverage containers)
· Corrugated Cardboard, Waxy Cardboard
· Telephone Books
· Wireless Cell Phones
· Textiles (clothes, shoes, towels, linens, rags, curtains, table cloths, and small rugs)
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Recycling Other Items
Motor Oil
Motor Oil may be recycled at any Valvoline Instant Oil Change or Jiffy Lube
Paints, Pesticides, Herbicides, Fluorescent Tubes, Rechargeable Batteries, Anti-Freeze and mercury-containing items and other chemicals or materials.
These items may be recycled during the spring and fall Household Chemical Collection Events hosted by St. Louis County Health. Visit the St. Louis County website at http://www.stlouisco.com/doh/waste/waste_mg.html
for upcoming event dates and locations. Or call the hotline at 314-286-9200 for more information on the events and other activities.
Vendors to contact to Recycle your Fluorescent Lamps and Bulbs:
Lens Masters
11309 Midland Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63114
Business Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Phone: 314.427.1660
Fax: 314.427.2226
Drop off various shapes and sizes of fluorescent and incandescent bulbs for a fee. Call for pricing (prices vary depending on bulb size and type). Accepts fluorescent lamps, ballasts, U-tubes and compacts, incandescents, and signage lamps.
RecyclePak (a service of Sylvania and Veolia)
Offer kits that can hold up to 12 small compact fluorescent lamps and 6-8 medium to large compact fluorescent lamps. Price includes the container, liner, liner tie, instructions, terms and conditions, outbound and return shipping and processing. Kits shipped via United States Postal Service. For more information, please visit the RecyclePak website at: https://recyclepak.sylvania.com/RecyclepakOrder
Click here FAQs on CFLs and Mercury to get answers to your frequently asked questions about Compact Fluorescent bulbs and Mercury.
Mercury-Containing Light Bulb (Lamp) Basic Information
 Mercury is an essential component of many energy-efficient light bulbs. The two most common types of energy-efficient lighting that contain mercury are:
1) fluorescent bulbs, including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and 2) high intensity discharge (HID) bulbs
Fluorescent bulbs provide lighting to most schools, hospitals, office buildings and stores. HID bulbs include mercury vapor bulbs, metal halide and high-pressure sodium bulbs, and are used for streetlights, floodlights, parking lots, and industrial lighting. Other mercury-containing bulbs include neon/argon lamps commonly used in the electric sign industry. But fluorescent bulbs contain potentially harmful substances such as highly toxic heavy metals like mercury, cadmium and lead which, if ingested can have negative impacts on human health. Mercury is the main concern with fluorescent lighting.
Although lighting manufacturers have greatly reduced the amount of mercury used in lighting over the past 20 years, they are not yet able to completely eliminate the need for mercury. While mercury-containing bulbs contain small amounts of mercury (an average of 5 milligrams or about 1/100th of the amount of mercury found in a mercury fever thermometer), they are one of numerous sources that collectively impact the environment during disposal.
Nationwide, over 670 million mercury-containing bulbs are discarded each year. Most of these bulbs are still discarded with municipal solid waste that is ultimately land filled or incinerated. These disposal methods can lead to a release of elemental mercury into the environment through breakage and leakage and ultimately contaminate the food chain. These bulbs should, therefore, be recycled after they burn out. Virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled. The metal end caps, glass tubing, mercury and phosphor powder can all be separated and reused. Recyclers often sell the metallic portions as scrap metal. The recycled glass can be remanufactured into other glass products. The mercury can be recycled into new fluorescent light bulbs and other mercury-containing devices.
 Fluorescent bulbs that are discarded in the trash will break and some mercury will be released into the environment. However, the use of mercury-containing bulbs for general indoor lighting makes good environmental sense. These bulbs are significantly more energy-efficient than incandescent bulbs because they require less energy to provide lighting. Electrical generation from coal-burning power plants also releases mercury into the environment. The use of fluorescent bulbs in place of incandescent bulbs lowers energy use and thus reduces the associated release of mercury from many power plants. Fluorescent bulbs are also more cost effective because they last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. The Environmental Protection Agency strongly encourages the recycling of all mercury-containing bulbs after they burn out.
Information obtained from the US EPA website at http://epa.gov/bulbrecycling/basic.htm
Using light bulbs in craft projects is a great way to re-use bulbs. Old light bulbs make great ornaments. You can paint on them or you can glue fabric or paper on them. They can be used as a decoration for any season of the year. You can decorate the light bulb and then tie yarn or string on the end to hang them. A variety of ornaments and other craft projects using light bulbs can be found by visiting
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/lightbulbcrafts/
 
Tires
Tires may be recycled at Amoco, 7360 Forsyth, 725-7558, fees may apply.
Electronics
University City is no longer participating in the electronics recycling program. Please visit www.ecyclestlouis.org to find a location near you to drop-off your electronics. Fees may apply.
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