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The City of Hazelwood is hosting its 2nd annual “Recycle Day” on Saturday, June 2, in the St. Louis Mills parking lot near the Ice Zone.  Residents can get rid of their unwanted recyclable items by dropping them off at the event site between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  This event is free; there are no drop-off charges.

Participating vendors for this year’s event include Allied Waste Services, WITS, Inc. (Web Innovations & Technology Services), St. Louis Mills, The Home Depot, American Kidney Services, and Shred-it.

They will have different stations set up at the event site to collect the following items:  computers; monitors; printers; cords/cables; TVs; VCR/DVD players; stereos/boom boxes; MP3 players; cellular phones; kitchenware like toasters, blenders, and food processors; washers; dryers; dishwashers; refrigerators; furnaces; humidifiers; air conditioners; lawn equipment; industrial machinery; old motors or transformers; medical and diagnostic equipment; car and lead-containing batteries; document shredding; fluorescent and CFL light bulbs; clothing, shoes and accessories; bedding; books; computer software; DVDs/CDs; and single-stream recycling items.  No tires or hazardous materials such as paints, solvents, and chemicals are being accepted.

Hazelwood launched this “Recycling Day” program last year which attracted 706 cars and collected nearly 80 tons of recyclable items.  Event organizers are expecting a bigger turnout this year with more participation from local residents.  It’s part of an aggressive recycling education program implemented by city officials.

“Our goal is for Hazelwood to be at the forefront of today’s green initiative with an effective sustainability program that diverts recyclable items away from landfills so they can be refurbished or recycled to help cut down on unused waste,” said Mayor Matthew Robinson.  “We believe our residents can make a difference in saving our planet by reducing their consumption of natural resources, being more energy efficient, and bringing unwanted recyclables from home to our event on June 2.  We want to make Hazelwood a more eco-friendly community.”

Hazelwood police volunteers and explorers will be on hand to direct traffic.  Vendor areas will be set up so the flow of traffic won’t be impeded by people dropping off their recyclable items.  Drivers will be able to pull in, unload their vehicle and then easily follow the exit lanes out of the event collection site.

Hazelwood is partnering with a Green Committee of resident volunteers and the St. Louis County Health Department in promoting a “Recycling Becomes Me” campaign, designed to show people how recycling can become a part of their everyday lives. Hazelwood received $9,838 as part of a grant received through its partnership with St. Louis County.  With guidance from the City’s Green Committee, the staff will be using these funds to produce educational materials and to conduct a recycling participation study.