With Earth Day approaching on April 22, the Pennsylvania Resources Council has announced its 2013 collection event schedule for electronics, pharmaceuticals, household chemicals and building materials.
On April 20 there will be a “Hard to Recycle” collection at the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills. There will be no charge for turning in e-waste like computers, TVs, cell phones, printer/toner cartridges and CFLs, and a nominal fee for paper shredding, alkaline batteries, fluorescent tubes, specialty lights and small Freon appliances.
For the first time, PRC is partnering with NOVA Chemicals and Appliance Warehouse to collect polystyrene packing materials (marked #6).
PRC Regional Director David Mazza says it’s not only important to keep things that can be reused out of landfills, things like household chemicals and pharmaceuticals are not safe.
“This is an issue of protecting our drinking water and our public health," he said. "A lot of these materials are caustic, dangerous, hazardous, flammable, so they’re not materials that you want to contaminate groundwater or to be released into the environment.”
On April 27, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s nationwide Drug Take Back Day, many locations in the region will accept unwanted and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications at no cost.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 4 at the North Park Swimming Pool parking lot, household chemicals will be accepted. Those include automotive fluids, household cleaners, pesticides, paints, etc., at a cost of $2 per gallon.
Additional collections at other locations are also scheduled. See www.zerowastepgh.org or call PRC at (412) 488-7452 for complete collection event information throughout the year.
