Saturday, November 7, 2009

Busy Saturday

I am going to sleep in tomorrow because I had a busy day today. There's always so much to do on the weekend and my parents try to squeeze 4 days worth of work into 2 days. Duh! That's not going to work.

I didn't know where we were going when we left the house this morning, but our first stop wasn't far from home. Mom and Dad had been running around the house before we left putting stuff into boxes and all I could hear was something about everything being expired. What does that mean? Soon after we left the house we pulled into the train station parking lot in our town and the scene looked something like this.
This is a Swalco collection event. Swalco (Solid Waste Agency of Lake County) holds several collection events all over the county. The purpose of the events is to collect hazardous waste from the residents in the community. Waste that would otherwise be disposed of incorrectly. Waste that needs to be disposed of properly.

The event was for Illinois residents only, but you did not have to be a resident of the community or county to drop waste off. The event was free and the lines were a little long when we got there because it was about 65 degrees and sunny. What a beautiful day to collect waste!

Dad cleaned out the garage last year and took a lot of stuff to an event last year, so all we were taking this time were expired medicines and a few aerosol cans. Swalco accepts the following items at their collection events:

Aerosol products
Antifreeze
Asbestos
Batteries: Rechargeable (NI-CAD), Lithium and Metal Hydride (No alkaline or lead-acid)
Drain Cleaners
Driveway Sealers
Fertilizer, Herbicides
Fluorescent Lights and CFL's
Fungicides
Furniture Strippers and Varnishes
Garden and Lawn Chemicals
Gasoline
Hobby Chemicals
Household Cleaners
Insecticides and Pesticides
Mercury (including thermometers and thermostats)
Metal Polishes
Motor Oil
Oil-Based Paints
Paint Removers
Pool Chemicals
Prescription Drugs (for people and pets), Over-the-counter-medicines and supplements
Personal Care Products (including cosmetics, skin care products, shampoos, etc.)
Solvents

What a list! What a scary list. Scary because all these items are hazardous if disposed of improperly. Scary also because some of these items are used with water that ends up going down the drain like household cleaners and drain cleaners. Fertilizers are okay to put on your lawn but not okay to throw away? Pool chemicals are okay to swim around in but not to throw away? I just don't get it. Why are we using things are that hazardous to being with? I need answers!
Mom tells me that in the old days you would just pour stuff you didn't want down the drain or flush it down the toilet. Yikes! Were you crazy? I asked her. She told me that this is what everyone did and that they did it because: a) they didn't know any better and b) because there wasn't such a thing as a solid waste agency. Thankfully times have changed and people have changed along with them.

The mission of SWALCO is to implement a solid waste management plan, which includes facilitating an efficient, reliable and environmentally sound waste disposal system. They also educate the public about the implications of solid waste disposal. Everything that gets poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet ends up in a water treatment plant where it must be filtered to remove the hazardous waste. Most of the hazardous stuff gets filtered out but then where does it go? It ends up in streams, rivers, and lakes, in our soil, and in our air. Proper disposal of hazardous waste is the only way to ensure these toxic substances don't end up in your drinking water. Please do not pour or flush any of the items listed above. Doing this is not only bad for you it's also bad for animals.

After a guy in a hazmet suit came up to the car to get our stuff, we were on our way out of town. Where were we going? At this point I didn't really care because I was loving life. I love riding around in Mom's car with the windows open and the breeze blowing my cute button ears. I was having such a good time in the car that I didn't even realize it when we pulled up to the Dog Wash Express. I was very confused because I didn't need a bath. I had gotten one a few months ago and was still really clean but Mom and Dad told me I was stinky. Stinky good, right? Wrong!

Thankfully, Mom didn't have her camera or cell phone with her to document my bath. The place was crowded so we were in and out in record time. I was a little upset when we left but I thought for sure we were going to visit the drive-thru of my favorite restaurant. Right. Because Dad is on this 'lifestyle program' he no longer eats fried chicken. I could never be on this program because I would die without my Popeyes. We headed for home - me mad and starving, Mom trying to get my hair off of her, and Dad ready to clean the car.

With Dad in the garage cleaning the car, Mom and I headed to the backyard to fill the bird feeders. I was trying to dry off outside but I needed a little nap so I decided to lay down on the grass. I was sleeping peacefully until the mailman arrived.

I love the mailman because Mom loves him. She waits all day for the mailman but I have no idea why. What does he bring her? What is she waiting for? I have no answers to either of these questions but today he brought me something.

My good pal Emmitt and his mom Melissa sent me a little note and a little button! I was so excited to receive them because I hardly ever get any mail.
Isn't the button cute? It looks just like me. I am so lucky to have such great pals like Emmitt and Melissa. I hope one day I can visit them (when there's not 20 inches of snow on the ground) and eat meatloaves with them.
Thanks Melissa and Emmitt. You guys made my day!

10 comments:

Sequoia & Petunia & Emma said...

Mom had no idea about the waste collection people and the events, thanks for sharing. Mom remembers when she was younger she had to flush soup down the toilet when it was bad BOL! You looked cute with your button. Too bad no chickens for yous after the bath. Have a good Sunday sleeping!

Stubby said...

Hi Sequoia & Petunia! Soup down the toilet sounds so yucky! I'm sure if there was soup in my toilet I would try to eat it.

I'm still a little upset about the chicken, but I'm hoping to have a little steak for dinner. Hopefully Dad will give me some and then I can sleep peacefully with a nice, full belly.

Stubby xoxo

dw said...

Hey Stubby, that sure sounds like a great event. I don't think I have any solid waste stuff that needed recycling (no expired medications, no garage stuff, no unknown substances), but it's cool that they have that nonetheless! I took out recycling today to the blue bins.... does that count? :) Mostly what I have in my place to be recycled is paper stuff. Books, magazines, oh, and can you say boxes and boxes of school notes? Heeeeeeee! It was an absolutely beautiful day today, wasn't it!

The WriggleButts said...

You have very good hoomans that dispose of their waste in the right way! I assume foodables go in your mouth, right? Rather than being thrown away, I mean. Mom say we have the same thing around here - there are places you can drive to and drop them off every day, but they also come locally to pick up for people without cars and such every once in a while. And paper/plastic/glass/metal can be sorted right where we live, which is good.

Sunday kisses,
Bajas

Stubby said...

Hi dw! It was a cool event. So many people were dropping off so much stuff. Taking your recycling to the blue bins definitely counts. Every little bit that doesn't end up in a landfill helps.

Mom has lots of paper stuff that needs to be recycled too. She loves magazines and still has lots of school notes. Time to have a clean-up day.

It was beautiful yesterday and it's suppose to be equally beautiful today. I may ask Dad to move the tv outside so that I can watch the Bears while laying in the grass.

Stubby xoxo

Stubby said...

Hi Bajas! You are so right - all the foodables go in my mouth. Nom, nom, nom!

I'm so glad to hear that you have places that will take your hazardous waste. It's great too that everything else can be sorted and picked up right where you live. Keep up the great work!

Stubby xoxo

Kelly said...

What a fun Saturday, Stubby! Well... except for the bath part. I bet you smelled LOVELY before it. Humans have a weird sense of what smells 'good'!

Melissa and Emmitt are so sweet! What a great surprise!!!

Stubby said...

Hi Pearly Poo! I did smell lovely before the bath but no one listens to me. I really didn't need a bath but I have since forgiven Mom. She keeps telling me how wonderful I smell and gives me extra kisses so I guess the bath was worth it.

Stubby xoxo

Archie and Melissa said...

hi stubby!
oh emmitt and i are so glad you like your button! you made our day too!

you and your family are welcome to stay with us anytime!

what a great event your pawrents went to! we love those when they are available because i know we have disposed of them corrrectly!

have a wonderful day!

xoxoxo

Stubby said...

Hi Melissa & Emmitt! I'm so glad you go to similar events in your area to dispose of your hazardous waste. Colorado is catching up with California in their eco-worthiness!

Stubby xoxo