Electronic Recycling
Electronic recycling event
Date: Saturday, October 31, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Free State High School
north parking lot, 4700 Overland Drive
(785) 832-3030 or www.LawrenceRecycles.org
Consumer electronics, including televisions and other video equipment, computers, audio equipment, and telephones, make up almost 2% of the municipal solid waste stream. In 2007, discarded electronic waste totaled approximately 2.5 million tons in the U.S.
To encourage recycling of old, non-working electronics, the City of Lawrence will host an electronic recycling event on Saturday, October 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Free State High School north parking lot, 4700 Overland Drive.
Items accepted for recycling are televisions, computers, printers, scanners, fax machines, small appliances, phones and other hand held devices. There is a recycling fee for computer monitors, $5 per monitor, and televisions, $10 per television. There are no recycling charges for other electronic equipment. Fees may be paid by cash or check. Items not accepted are household hazardous materials and large appliances.
Electronic recycling will be provided by Extreme Recycling, a permitted e-waste recycling and reclamation facility in Kansas. Extreme Recycling adheres to a zero landfill tolerance policy. All materials received are disassembled down to the commodity level and remarketed to domestic vendors.
For more information please contact the Waste Reduction and Recycling Division at (785) 832-3030 or visit www.LawrenceRecycles.org
Frequently Asked Questions
How well do you understand your own water usage? Do you know how to conserve water in your home? Test your knowledge with the following quiz and find out if you’re a Water Sense novice, expert or genius. Answers below …
1. The average family of four uses approximately ___ gallons of water per day?
- A. 50
- B. 100
- C. 250
- D. 400
2. How much water can you save per day by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth in the morning and at bedtime?
- A. Up to 2 gallons
- B. Up to 4 gallons
- C. Up to 8 gallons
- D. Up to 6 gallons
3. In the average household, which of the following wastes the MOST water per day?
- A. Running the tap while washing dishes
- B. Using a garbage disposal
- C. A leaky toilet
- D. Long showers
Answers
Question 1 – D: The average person uses 100 gallons of water each day-that’s enough to fill 1,600 drinking glasses.
Question 2 – C: The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute; by simply turning off the tap, you can save more than 100 gallons of water per person each month.
Question 3 – C: A leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons every day!
2010 Budget in Brief
Budget reflects priorities and maintains service levels
City crews replace curbs along 7th Street.
During a time of unprecedented economic turmoil and uncertainty, the city has not significantly reduced the service levels for Lawrence residents. This has been accomplished by limiting annual expenditure growth and maintaining a flat mill levy (26.68 mills).
The budget does not include funding for any new positions in 2010. Overall, the 2010 budget has 11.79 fewer full-time employees than the 2009 budget. This is the third consecutive year of reductions in staffing.
Sales tax funds will be dedicated in 2010 to improving the city’s infrastructure and new fire trucks. Additionally, funding will be allocated to provide resources for the transit division.
The budget continues to prioritize maintenance of our city streets. Over $5 million is budgeted for repairs and maintenance to city streets. In addition, $3.6 million of infrastructure sales tax revenues will be used for street maintenance in 2010.
More budget information is available online at https://lawrenceks.org/budget.
In 2010, the city will use your taxes, rate dollars, service charges, fines, and fees to:
- Maintain over 319 miles of streets
- Produce and distribute an average of 10.5 million gallons of water per day
- Treat an average of 10.8 million gallons of wastewater per day
- Operate 3 recreation centers, 4 aquatic facilities, and 11 tennis courts
- Provide 437,671 one-way trips on the Public Transit System
- Respond to more than 9,600 calls for fire and medical service
- Respond to over 115,400 calls for police service
- Recycle over 14,000 tons of material through city programs
- Provide just over $1 million in aid to social service agencies
- Provide levee maintenance and flood control gates on the Kansas River
- Support operations of the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau
- Provide $3.06 million to support the Lawrence Public Library
- Provide weekly solid waste services to 32,400 accounts
Fire Prevention
October is Fire Prevention Month
Lawrence Douglas County Fire Medical offers this checklist for basic steps to prevent fires:
- Electrical cords are in good condition (not damaged).
- The clothes dryer has a clean vent and filter (no lint build-up).
- Appliances and lights are plugged into separate electrical outlets.
- An adult always stays in the kitchen whenever food is cooking on the stovetop.
- All smoke alarms work when tested.
- All extension cords are used safely (not under carpets or across walking areas).
- Portable space heaters are 3 feet away from anything that can burn.
- All escape routes are clear of clutter and easily accessible.
- Curtains and other things that can burn are away from the stovetop.
- The furnace has been inspected in the past year.
- Portable space heaters are off whenever you leave the room or go to sleep.
- The chimney has been inspected and cleaned in the past year.
For more information on fire prevention and safety, visit the National Fire Protection Association at http://www.nfpa.org.