St. Tammany News

St. Tammany Parish has teamed up with Keep Slidell Beautiful and the Honey Island Group of the Sierra Club for a Hazardous Waste Collection Day on March 15 at the Northshore Harbor Center.

When most people think of recycling, they might consider paper, plastic or glass. However, many other things are considered hazardous household waste, such as paint, tires or batteries, that shouldn't just be thrown away. Used electronics, or e-waste, are quickly becoming the largest component, with an estimated 1.5 million tons thrown into landfills and incinerators every year, according to the Sierra Club. Televisions, computers, cell phones and radios can emit toxins such as lead or mercury into the air or water if not disposed of properly.

The collection day will take place from 9 a.m. to noon in the commuter parking lot adjacent to the Harbor Center. Waste disposal companies that specialize in recycling these types of waste products will be on hand. Companies such as Rinco, which turns used paint into energy sources, and LEI, an electronics recycling group, will be there to collect the products.

"They find a use for everything," said Brett Henry, an environmental specialist with the parish who is helping to coordinate the effort. "It's amazing how many things don't have to go to waste."

The event is partially funded by a two-year grant from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. A second collection day is set for the western side of the parish in the fall, but the location is not yet confirmed. The Hazardous Waste Collection Day is also the first event to tie in with the resumption of an official recycling program in the parish.

At least 70 volunteers are needed for the March 15 event to help unload vehicles, monitor traffic flow and pack up materials for transportation.

"The volunteers are what helped things go so well the last time," said Henry. "They'll also be needed to count vehicles and the number of items collected, which will help us gauge what we take in."

Volunteers must be 18 or older, and must have an Official Volunteer Tag displayed in their vehicle to enter the collection site. Donations of gloves, refreshments, printing of flyers and other materials are also needed.

In addition, an online flyer is available that lists details about the event, for posting in schools, clubs or offices. To download and print the flyer, go to http://louisiana.sierraclub.org/honeyisland/HHWDFlier.pdf. The commuter lot at the Northshore Harbor Center is located off Lakeshore Boulevard East in Slidell, exit 261 from Interstate 10. Interested volunteers should e-mail wbeelman@cityofslidell.org, or call 646-4307 to register. To offer monetary donations or materials, call 898-2535.