RECYCLING DROP-OFF EVENTS SCHEDULED

The St. Charles Parish Council announces bi-monthly recycling
drop off events on both the East and West banks.

WHEN:
Saturday, Sept. 6, 9 a.m. - noon
November 1, 9 a.m. - noon


WHERE:
Westbank: St. Charles Plaza, Hwy. 90, Luling
(Old K-Mart parking lot - west side along the fence line.)

Eastbank: New Sarpy Annex, River Road, New Sarpy (Allen Artebury Building)

ABOUT:
Accepting materials include plastic containers (numbers 1-7), paper, cardboard, paperboard, shredded paper (in bags), newspapers, magazines, phone books and metal containers such as aluminum and steel.

NO GLASS. START COLLECTING YOUR RECYCLABLES NOW!

For more information call (985) 783-5000.

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For immediate release April 4, 2008

PARISH RESIDENTS URGED TO COLLECT RECYCLABLES FOR DROP-OFF EVENT
Councilman schedules April 23 committee meeting to discuss recycling options

Curbside recycling went by the wayside in St. Charles Parish after Hurricane Katrina, but parish residents will still have the chance to turn in recyclable materials during bi-monthly drop-off events through the end of the year.

The next event, conducted by the Recycling Foundation of Baton Rouge, is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon May 3 at the St. Charles Plaza on Hwy. 90 in Luling and the Allen Arterbury Building on River Road in New Sarpy. Recycling is free to the public, and no parish funds are used to conduct the drop-off.

A former council member helped launch the events last summer after constituents asked him about resurrecting curbside collection. Current council members made sure the events continued in 2008.

“The Council recognizes that recycling is important
 to maintaining the quality of life we enjoy, and that our environment is one
 of the best things in life that comes free,” Council Chairman Dennis Nuss, of Luling, said. “We also recognize that
 recycling is important to the citizens of St. Charles Parish who want to
 make a tangible contribution to their environment.”

Nuss has scheduled a Special Projects, Public Safety, Health and Environmental Committee meeting at 6 p.m. April 23 in the Council Chambers at the St. Charles Parish Courthouse on River Road in Hahnville. Recycling will be on the agenda.

Being environmentally conscious is a trend these days, and it seems parish residents are indeed following it. According to council secretary Barbara Jacob-Tucker, 16,120 pounds of recyclables were collected at an event held in March. Those materials included plastic containers, paper, cardboard, paperboard, shredded paper, newspapers, magazines, phone books and metal containers such as aluminum and steel.

Tammy Cheatham, of the Recycling Foundation, said her company must collect 15,000 pounds of material to have a successful trip.

Response to the events has been increasingly positive.

“People always thank us and are happy to have another option… I think interest is high,” Cheatham said. “We’re really trying to keep people in the habit of recycling.”

Still, Cheatham emphasized that the drop-off events are meant to be a temporary fix. In her view, resuming curbside service should be the ultimate goal. Nuss said he favors a regional approach to make curbside recycling more cost-effective.

A curbside program previously began in St. Charles Parish on March 1, 1994. Katrina took recycling plants in Eastern New Orleans offline, so the cost-effectiveness of a local program remains low. During each drop-off event this year, volunteers will gather information about participants’ opinions on recycling and their place of residence. Cheatham says she hopes the information will help her company target their events better and help the parish consider future recycling plans.

Those interested in bringing materials to the next event should make sure bags, boxes and other enclosures are easy to remove. Drop-off is typically handled in drive-through fashion, with volunteers unloading recyclables directly from vehicles. The Recycling Foundation will not accept glass.

Cheatham also pointed out that the drop-off event in St. Charles compliments similar events held monthly in Orleans and Jefferson parishes. Those events are staggered so they occur every two weeks. Those interested in recycling more frequently are welcome to bring materials to those events, she said.

Parish officials are seeking volunteers for the drop-off events. Those interested can contact the council secretary’s office at (985) 783-5000 to sign up.

For more information about the positive environmental impact of recycling, visit www.earth911.com.

The mission of St. Charles Parish government is to provide high quality, efficient services to sustain and enhance the quality of life for all residents of St. Charles Parish.