Just received from the Crozet Community Association listserv:
Dear CCA members,
At the last CCA meeting, members discussed the continue need for a Crozet recycling center as envisioned in the master plan. I agreed to gather information on the center and other recycling-related topics. Here is my report on the recycling topics that were raised at the meeting:
1. Status of Recycling Center, Crozet Master Plan: I wrote to Supervisor Ann Mallek to inquire about the budget for the recycling center and to express frustration at the length of time involved in releasing the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority strategic plan. Here is Ann’s response:
“I could not agree more and I spoke last week (early January) at the Planning District comm about the slow pace that the RSWA is taking with this process. True, there is $250,000 in the allocated budget for the recycling center facility. What is not there is the money for personnel to staff it. I asked the folks in Nelson County, since they have the huge recycling area at Rockfish and they said that staff is essential to prevent the area from becoming a dump.
Or have an agency who would supervise, such as the Earlysville fire company was interested in doing last year. We have been treading water. I will again push our staff to come forth with the solid waste study, last year’s hold up, so the community can read for itself the results of all the public meetings and surveys.
Everyone I talked to wanted a MURF, a materials utilization recycling center and the ability to collect unseparated materials. When I spoke last spring to Tom Frederick about the opening of the center in Fluvanna who can take all recyclables for 49 a ton, I asked why we cannot use their facility until we have the money to do something ourselves.
I will reopen the discussion with RSWA. The city and county have a contract with the authority to handle solid waste, so we do not have the legal ability to go out on our own, sadly. More soon on these issues.” Ann Mallek
2. RWSA Bulky Waste and Household Hazardous and Business Hazardous Waste Amnesty Day — the spring dates when tires, appliances, and household waste can be dumped for free at the landfill have not yet been set, but when they are set they will be available at http://avenue.org/rswa/
3. FREE Television and Electronics Recycling Event- Jan 31In anticipation of the switch to digital TV signals, Crutchfield is partnering with several local groups to host a FREE Television and Electronics Recycling Event. The event will be held rain or shine from 9am to 3pm on Saturday, January 31, 2009 in front of Crutchfield at the Rio Hill Shopping Center (snow date Saturday, February 7th).
The EPA estimates that in 2007 over 26 million televisions were discarded by Americans, and, surprisingly, an estimated 99 million old televisions are stockpiled or stored in people’s homes. Once the digital conversion takes place, many of those televisions will have little value. The average television contains over 6 pounds of toxic materials. For more information, visit Crutchfield’s site.
4. Newspaper Recycling — at the CCA meeting, a resident mentioned that recycling newspapers is her biggest concern. I learned that all trash haulers servicing Albemarle County are required to offer curbside pick up of newspaper. Residents should place bagged newspaper out with their trash. The county director of Pulibc Works, Michael Freitas (296 5816) oversees the licensing of haulers in Albemarle County.
I hope this information is helpful. Kathleen Jump
Just so you know – we have two curbside recycling options in Albemarle County – Green Pieces Recycling (whose website has been down since I wrote my original story months ago) and My Recycling Club.
