Monessen to host drop-off recycling event Saturday

By KRISTIE LINDEN
klinden@yourmvi.com

Monessen needs to improve its recycling numbers and it will start its push Saturday with a city-wide drop off event.
“We’ve been negligent on our recycling collection over the last five years, it’s actually dipped down to 1%,” Mayor Matt Shorraw said at Tuesday night’s meeting. “The requirement is that we can get grant money based on our recycling intake and right now we’re eligible for about $500.”
Shorraw said in 2015, about 18% of the city was recycling and it’s dipped to 1% in five years.
“We’re losing about $10,000 to $15,000 a year,” Councilman Don Gregor said.
Shorraw said the city has an ordinance mandating recycling and leaf-waste pick up, which hasn’t been done in some time either.
Gregor said the city needs to start educating its residents about recycling again and how to do it in Monessen.
Shorraw said its possible some people don’t have recycling bins and aren’t aware they can get them from city hall.
The city is considering a plan to roll out a street-by-street effort to ensure everyone has recycling bins and then keep track of how many residents on each street use them to recycle before moving on to a new street.
Shorraw said the city needs to get its numbers up and once it does it can apply for new grants, including one that could bring a new chipper to town to help with yard waste.
From 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Monessen residents only can drop off items such as electronics, newspapers, cardboard, fluorescent tubes and other hard-to-recycle items at the city garage on Parente Boulevard.
Identification proving residency in Monessen will be required.
There will also be a city-wide cleanup event the same day. Residents are asked to clean their own properties and city blocks.
The city also hopes residents will consider adopting a nearby park to help clean up weeds, trash and debris, in addition to other streets throughout Monessen.
Both events are in cooperation with the Westmoreland Cleanways Recycling Center and are part of the “Pick Up Pennsylvania” Initiative.
Shorraw said there are supplies for the cleanup and Councilwoman Lois Thomas said there are about 100 bags and 20 vests for those who help clean up the main thoroughfares in town, such as Third, Sixth and Ninth Streets, and Parente Boulevard.
Thomas and Shorraw said they hope to release more information on Facebook about where residents can meet to do the main arteries of town.
Shorraw cautioned anyone who may see a used needle to call police to let them handle it and to be careful in cases of broken glass.
Items that will be accepted at the drop off event include: computer monitors, CPUs/towers, laptops, iPads, tablets, mice, keyboards, speakers, printers, TVs, answering machines, cameras, Christmas lights, camcorders, cell phones, docking stations, electric typewriters, electrical cords, fax/copy machines, gaming consoles, gaming controllers, pagers, radios, remote controls, stereos, tapedecks, CD players, telephone systems, testing equipment, VCR/DVD players, cardboard, paper, newspapers, magazines, compact fluorescent bulbs (cfls), fluorescent tubes, halogen bulbs, high-pressure sodium bulbs, led bulbs, ballasts, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
Items that will not be accepted include: batteries, furniture, mattresses, incandescent light bulbs, ink/toner cartridges, paints/household hazardous waste, plastics, pianos/organs, medical equipment, small appliances, vacuum cleaners, rug scrubbers.

See the video from Tuesday’s meeting at www.monvalleyindependent.com.