BATTERIES: You may dispose of your unwanted batteries at the Community Recycling Center in your area.

Only unbroken vehicle batteries will be collected.

5 safety tips for do-it-yourselfers:

• Keep open flames away from the battery. Don't use lighters or matches to illuminate your work under the hood. Don't smoke around an open battery.
• Always shield your eyes from the battery. Wear safety glasses or goggles whenever possible.
• When using jumper cables, never connect the ground cable (black) to the negative post of a run-down battery. Instead, connect it to the frame or engine block of the stalled vehicle as far as possible from the battery.
• Don't be careless when using tools around the battery. You might accidentally make a direct connection across the terminals or from the positive (red) post to a grounded part of the vehicle, creating a dangerous spark.
• Don't hook up your battery charger incorrectly. Instead, follow the directions on the charger and be sure the charger is turned off or unplugged before making connections. Remember to turn the charger off and unplug it after charging and before disconnecting the charger leads.
  

TIRES: Scrap tires can be turned in by themselves, or still on rims. There will be a small handling charge for each tire and rim collected. Contact your local City or Town Hall for specific information related to charges or hours of operation.

• Note: There may be a small handling charge for each unbroken vehicle battery collected. Contact your local City or Town Hall for specific charges.

NICKLE-CADIUM BATTERIES:   Missing an important call because your cell phone wasn’t properly charged is a common problem in an increasingly wireless world. Rechargeable batteries hold the key to our reliance on convenient, portable products, yet few people understand the basic rules of recharging rechargeable batteries. Even fewer know that when certain rechargeable batteries can no longer hold a charge, they can be recycled!

• Nickel - Cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries are the most common type of portable rechargeable battery, and they’re used in power products such as cellular and cordless phones, camcorders, power tools and many other consumer electronic devices. It is estimated that more than 75 million Ni-Cd batteries are sold annually within the United States.

• Charge Up To Recycle! is an international environmental program created to recycle Ni-Cd batteries commonly used in consumer and business cordless products. The program is managed by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) of Gainesville, Florida. RBRC’s goal is to recycle small, sealed Ni-Cd batteries from households and businesses.

• RBRC introduced the alternative label to alleviate consumer confusion about what to do with Ni-Cd batteries once they can no longer be recharged. The language currently used on the batteries - “battery must be recycled or disposed of properly” - under-mines the goal of increased recycling by
  presenting disposal as an equally acceptable alternative. According to RBRC, there is no reason for any Ni-Cd battery to be “disposed of” given the availability of recycling programs.
  
• The new label features a battery surrounded by three chasing arrows, and states simply, “recycle”. The battery recycling seal incorporated within the alternative label is a registered trademark of RBRC. RBRC monitors the use of this seal in the marketplace to ensure that the manufacturers using it are registered with RBRC and licensed to use the seal, and that the seal is being properly displayed. Approximately 80% of the Ni-Cd batteries sold in the United States display the RBRC battery recycling seal.
  

• Which batteries will be accepted?

• All small-sealed, dry-cell Ni-Cd batteries displaying the battery recycling seal will
  be accepted. The Charge Up to Recycle! Program handles only Ni-Cd batteries, so mixed shipments, per United States EPA regulations, will be returned.

PHONEBOOKS: 

Drop off bins will be placed at each of the participating elementary schools in late February, and remain on site through the end of March. Specific locations and dates are available by calling the Douglas County Solid Waste Program Office at 886-0899.

Used phone books will also be collected aT the Community Recycling Centers year - around.

With new phone books coming out traditionally in February and March, there is no longer an excuse to throw them into your trash or curbside bin. Rather, recycle them at one of the convenient drop box locations or at your
closest Community Recycling Center. Either way, you will be helping our environment, plus supporting our local schools!

      REMEMBER.......   All used phone books must be:
      * Loose, not bundled
      * Clean and dry
      * Free of other paper(s)
      * Not placed in a plastic bag

APPLIANCES: 

Illegally dumped appliances also pose dangers to children, who may become trapped inside while playing. Older refrigerators and freezers with door latches are especially hazardous, and state law requires that their doors be removed or prevented from being opened, to prevent such accidents.

Illegal dumping by a few individuals costs all the taxpayers of Douglas County.

The average cost to Douglas County to retrieve and properly dispose of an abandoned appliance within the unincorporated areas of Douglas County is approximately $85.00 per hour. This cost varies depending upon the distance the county must travel to retrieve the appliance, the time, effort and staff it takes to load it onto the county vehicle, the cost of purging the appliance and the disposal cost charged at the closest transfer station. These costs are covered by the taxpayers of Douglas County and takes county staff and equipment away from the tasks that they should be performing.

Tips on Disposal and Recycling:

• Do consider donating a working appliance to charity.
• Do ask the store where you buy a new appliance if it will remove the old appliance.
• Do participate in the annual Whitegoods Collection Events.
• Do use a certified technician to properly purge your refrigerant-containing appliance and ask for a receipt to show that the appliance has been properly purged
• Do use a reputable scrap recycler and ask for a receipt to show that the appliance has been properly disposed of.
• Don't be an illegal dumper. Others will follow your example. Research shows that some people will dump and litter where materials have already
  accumulated.

PAPER:

PAPER RECYCLING!

Recycling may be a new concept in some U.S. communities, but it’s been a paper industry tradition for 300 years! It all started at the Rittenhouse Mill, near Philadelphia, which began making paper from rags in 1690.

Until 1860, the U.S. paper industry relied exclusively on recycled fiber derived from cotton and linen rags, and on recovered paper made from these textile fibers. Economic growth in the 1900’s led to greater demand for paper, and techniques were developed to utilize wood fiber in papermaking.

Paper recycling rose rapidly during World War II, when the U.S. needed to conserve resources. Although it declined after the war, by the early 1970’s recovery of paper for recycling was on the rise again.

Today more Americans are recycling than ever before - and much of their efforts are devoted to paper recycling. As a result, office paper recycling has reached approximately 33% of all businesses in America, and continues to grow.

There are compelling reasons for recycling office paper: paper mills rely on “high grade” office paper for raw materials to make new paper; cities and towns collect recyclable paper to decrease the amount of paper being disposed of in landfills; and businesses continue to look at alternatives to higher waste disposal costs.

Ensure Management Support
Management must demonstrate the company’s commitment to recycling by playing an active, direct role from introduction through implementation of the program. The best way to demonstrate this support is active, enthusiastic participation in the office recycling program by every member of the management team.

Appoint a Recycling Coordinator.  A successful office recycling program requires an enthusiastic coordinator who can foster a
sense of teamwork and enlist the support of all employees. Be sure to designate a coordinator very early in the planning process! Their responsibilities should include:

• Identifying and choosing a recycler in your community for your recycling needs.

• Work with the recycler to identify materials to be collected and to determine acceptable means of collection.

• Designing an internal collection method.

• Soliciting continued program support from management and employees.

• Monitoring and regularly reporting on the program’s progress.

PET WASTE:

When disposing of Large quantities of pet waste . . . . .

If you have a large quantity of pet waste, you must notify your waste hauling company. Special arrangements may be made to help you properly dispose of your pet waste. Under no circumstances should you put large quantities (over 10 pounds) of pet waste into your normal garbage or in commercial dumpsters. For specific information about the disposal of large quantities of pet waste, contact:

• East Wenatchee and Rock Island Area:
  Waste Management of Greater Wenatchee
  (509) 662-4591

• Mansfield and Waterville Area :
  Consolidated Disposal Service, Inc.
  (509) 754-2468

• Douglas County:
  Waste Management of Greater Wenatchee
  (509) 662-4591, or
  Zippy Disposal Service
  (509) 682-5464.

Dead Pets

If your animal has died, you can bury it on your own property. Be sure to bury it deeply to prevent other animals from disturbing it. It must be buried 100 feet away from water, not in a high water table area, and not in a food-growing area. It also should not be buried if it is diseased. Within cities and towns, please check local regulations at your city hall regarding size and weight limitations.

You can also dispose of a dead pet that is 10 lbs. or lighter by double wrapping it in plastic bags, tying it tightly, and putting it out with your garbage or self-hauling it to a transfer station.

If your pet is over 10 lbs., some veterinarians will accept dead animals and dispose of them for a fee. Check your local yellow pages.

Always!

1. Use rubber gloves, a plastic bag, or a scoop when handling any feces for any of the disposal methods.
2. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling pet feces.
3. Do not allow children to play with dog or cat feces, or anywhere near their burial.
4. Encourage children to wash hands thoroughly and do not allow them to eat dirt.

You may contact your local city or town Community Recycling Center listed below for any questions you may have:

City of Bridgeport

1007 Fairview Ave.

Phone: 509-686-4041
 

Town of Mansfield

Big Bend Parts & Repair

137 Main Street

Phone: 509- 683-1112
 

Town of Waterville

720 North Chelan Avenue

Phone: 509-745-8871
 

City of Rock Island

23 S. Garden Avenue

Phone: 509-884-1261