On May 12 the Pennsylvania Resources Council, Appliance Warehouse and Verizon are inviting the public to drop off tires, scrap metal, major appliances, ink cartridges, and cell phones for recycling.

The event will be held at the Appliance Warehouse, 523 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Not to be confused with household hazardous waste, “hard to recycle” materials include such things as tires and major appliances.

Everything is free to drop off except tires. There is a $1 fee for tires without rims and a $2 fee for tires with rims (cash only please). Tires must be 18” or smaller. Scrap metal includes aluminum, brass, copper, steel or iron.

Examples of items accepted include storm doors (without the glass windows), plumbing fixtures, and metal shelving. PRC will not accept metal products with vinyl or cloth attached. Additionally, PRC will not accept propane tanks or other compressed gas cylinders.

Major appliances acceptable for drop off include refrigerators, air conditioners, washers and dryers. All freon will be removed safely by certified EPA technicians. Any brand of ink or toner cartridge and all cell phones, including cell phone batteries and chargers, may be dropped off. No rotary phones or regular telephones will be accepted.

By dropping off appliances and ink cartridges, PRC will benefit from two separate fundraising programs through Appliance Warehouse and ATM Laser.

For every appliance dropped off, Appliance Warehouse will make a donation to support PRC’s litter and graffiti prevention efforts in the community. Similarly, by recycling ink cartridges, PRC will raise needed funds through a fundraising program with ATM Laser, a local company that recycles and refurbishes ink cartridges.

All cell phones dropped off will be sent to Verizon Wireless as part of its HopeLines program. Through the HopeLines program, the company focuses primarily on putting wireless services to work to combat domestic violence.

The remaining 2007 “hard to recycle” collections are slated for July 14 and September 8. These collections provide individuals with an alternative to landfilling products that can be recycled into new, useful products. Scarce landfill space is then saved for items that cannot be reused or recycled.

For more information call 412-488-7490 x243 or visit the Pennsylvania Resources Council website.

4/27/2007