June/July Eco-Newsletter
Electronic Recycling Collection Event: setting a Guinness World Record
The Johnson County, KS Environmental Department is trying to set a Guinness World Record for the most electronics recycled in just four hours. Since there is no incumbent, any volume will set a record! But more importantly, every pound collected and recycled is that much less going needlessly to a landfill for disposal.
As our advancements in technology progress rapidly, older technology expires and becomes obsolete. So before you toss that old cell phone or computer, printer or TV, consider recycling it.
The Guinness World Record Electronics Recycling Event will take place Saturday, July 17th from 9:00am – 1:00pm. The event will be held in the Sunset Drive Office Building parking lot at 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe, KS 66061 (entry off of 119th St.). A fee will apply for monitors ($10) and TVs ($15); all other items are free. Other accepted items include batteries, cameras, CD players, cell phones, all computer equipment, faxes, printers, video games, and more.
Clean out your closets, garages and basements and help Johnson County, KS set the record for the highest tonnage of e-waste collected for recycling in four hours. Extreme Recycling is a local electronics recycling company and all destruction is conducted in Topeka, KS. See their website for a more detailed list of acceptable items: Extreme Recycling
For more information contact the Johnson County Environmental Department: 913-715-6900.
Johnson County schedules public hearings on changes to solid waste regulations
Johnson County has recently completed a major revision of the Code of Regulations for Solid Waste Management (Code) and it is now available for public comment. The Board of County Commissioners has scheduled two public hearings on the regulations for July 29: one beginning at 2 p.m. and the other beginning at 7 p.m. Both hearings will take place in the Board’s Hearing Room located on the third floor of the Johnson County Administration Building, 111 S. Cherry, in downtown Olathe.
The Code has been updated over the past two years with county staff working with the Solid Waste Management Committee and other stakeholders, including cities, neighborhood associations, business and civic groups, and solid waste facilities and haulers.
The proposed regulations will update solid waste facility permitting and operating requirements to ensure that the county’s regulatory requirements are parallel with state requirements. New in the Code are waste reduction measures that are intended to respond to rapidly shrinking regional landfill space, to promote a more sustainable waste management approach in Johnson County, to increase the county’s recycling rate of 23 percent to at least meet the national average of 34 percent, and to reduce solid waste destined for landfills.
“Implementing the proposed changes to the Code will help to improve our environment, encourage more recycling, and enhance our quality of life as we continue transforming Johnson County into a greener, greater community of choice for all our residents. In doing so, we prove that being more sustainable isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing,” Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh said.
“Residents are encouraged to attend the public hearing on July 29 to learn more about the Code and give their input about the proposed changes. As always, we welcome their comments.”
The proposed changes to the Code will require all residential trash haulers operating in the county to provide specified minimum solid waste services to their residential customers to divert more recyclable and compostable materials away from landfills to beneficial reuse. The county regulations will also ensure residents have access to similar solid waste services regardless of where they live in the county. These key services include the following:
- Effective January 1, 2012, waste haulers cannot pick up yard waste from county residents unless the yard waste is destined for composting or mulching.
- Effective January 1, 2012, transfer stations and landfills located in the county cannot accept yard waste for disposal.
- Effective January 1, 2012, waste haulers must provide unlimited curbside recycling to their residential customers as part of the base service and cannot charge a separate recycling fee.
- Effective January 1, 2012, waste haulers must offer residential customers a volume based rate structure (Pay as You Throw) that charges more for larger volumes of trash collected.
- Effective upon Code adoption, the county will have updated authority to enforce key state environmental requirements at solid waste facilities such as landfills and transfer stations.
The Board of County Commissioners also is accepting comments about the proposed regulatory changes in writing or through its website. Letters to the Board should be addressed to:
Board of County Commissioners
Attention: Clerk of the Board
111 South Cherry Street, Suite 3300
Olathe, KS 66061-3441
The Board’s email address is: bocc-commissioners@jocogov.org
A copy of the proposed Code of Regulations for Solid Waste Management and a Frequently Asked Questions document are available on the Johnson County Environmental Department’s website at http://jced.jocogov.org.
For more information visit the County's Recycling website or contact Julie Coon: julie.coon@jocogov.org.