Saturday, December 26, 2009

Post-holiday remorse and excess: where to recycle packaging, trees & electronics in Shreveport


Xmas tree arrives
Originally uploaded by trudeau
"Every piece of wrapping paper, cardboard box and aluminum pie pan that lands at Pratt Industries (Shreveport's recycling center), is one less item that goes into Woolworth Road Landfill, said Mike Strong, head of Shreveport's operational services department," writes Times reporter Melody Brumble in her story, "Post-Christmas recycling offers the gift of green."

"John McCoy, a manager at the Shreveport recycling plant, hopes residents will avoid putting garland, strings of Christmas lights and tinsel in their bins this year. Those items wrap around conveyor belts that carry recyclable materials through the plant and have to be untangled by hand."

Also recycling: "Goodwill Industries of North Louisiana takes monitors, printers, all the computer parts and all electronics. We are a Dell-approved recycler," said Jesse Schmidt, Goodwill's vice president of resource development."

The 16th annual tree recycling program: "'Shreveport Green will collect the dried husks of live trees to help combat erosion along Louisiana coasts. The trees are packed into fence-like structures to trap sediment and help rebuild the state's wetlands,' said Donna Curtis, Shreveport Green executive director."

Shreveport Green will accept live Christmas trees for recycling from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 30-31 and Jan. 2 in the parking lot of Lee Hedges Stadium, 6115 E. Kings Highway in Shreveport.

The city of Shreveport also will pick up trees for recycling during trash collection the first two weeks of January, says the Times.

Non-LED Xmas lights can also be recycled: the HolidayLEDs.com Christmas Light Recycling Program says, "Don't want to throw your old incandescent lights in the trash? Send them to us and we will recycle them for you and send you a coupon for 15% off. The recycling program is now open. The program will conclude at the end of February 2010."

And in enlightened enclaves some of the holiday dross is turned into decorative crafts projects.

No comments: