Mid-Missouri waste management centers help community members with spring cleaning
COLUMBIA, MO (KMIZ)
Columbia and Jefferson City is starting off April with some spring waste cleaning and collections.
Every first and third Saturday from April until November, community members will get to drop off household hazardous waste items free of charge in Columbia.
This Saturday was the first day community members could drop off household hazardous waste items at sites in the city.
The collection took place at the site on Lakeview Ave. between 8 a.m. and noon Saturday. The city’s volunteers said about 300 vehicles stopped by on Saturday, but that's a slow day for them. They said they usually see anywhere between 400 to 500 vehicles dropping off items.
Once individuals drive up, they will be met by volunteers and split into two lines depending on the items they have. The allowed disposable items range from motor oil, paints, aerosol cans and ammunition.
The collection facility recycled paint can also save you money. A small crew of people stir the multiple cans of latex paint to check for solids. If none is found, the paint is put into five-gallon buckets and is later given to residents for free.
According to paintzen, a gallon of paint can cost up to $40 for quality paint, equalling a potential $200 savings.
Steve Moore, is one resident who drove 20 miles from Harrisburg to drop off items. He said he wanted to set an example for his daughter. "Teaching her that it's better to take care of our environment than just throwing stuff out is much better,” Moore said.
Brenda Peculis is one individual who said she been volunteering at the HHW Facility for about two years to show her dedication to helping the environment.
“When they just throw things into the landfill , critters go through landfill ,they drag things out. It rains, the water washes all of that nasty stuff into the ground and it ends up in our water supply, so we end up drinking everything we throw away to some degree,” Peculis said.
Laura Cooper is new to Columbia and says she was amazed by the accessibility.
“We just loaded up some paint that the previous owners had left in our basement and um a container of antifreeze and we pulled right up and they took it," Cooper said.
If you are in Jefferson City, their bulky-item pick up will be Monday if you live on west side of Highway 54 and April 11 if you live on the east side.
Items can be placed on the curb no earlier than the Sunday before your scheduled pick-up date, and no later than 5 a.m. on Monday. You will only be allowed to bring large items such as TV’s and furniture to your curb for pick up.
To get more details about the event click here and if you need contact Jefferson City Republic Services for question click here.
