Senior citizens have an on-line store that meets their needs

CONWAY - If you’re a senior citizen and you love to shop, then listen up!  There is a store in our area that’s just for you.

It’s the Seniors Superstores. Paul Smith is the owner of the store.  He is also a contributor to Transitions News Magazine.  This is a magazine designed just for seniors along the Grand Strand. 

Smith’s latest article is “Are Discarded Cans and Bottles our Legacy to Future Generations?“

Contributed by Paul Smith, owner and operator of SeniorS SuperStoreS.

“Here at SeniorS SuperStoreS, we recycle everything that we can.  This may not add profits to our bottom line, but we can sleep better at night knowing that we are doing our part to protect our environment.

None of us want this generation’s legacy to be our discarded aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic shopping bags and plastic bottles that we leave behind for our children, their children and grandchildren, and many future generations to come.  Just consider the fact that today’s plastic bottle will be around for hundreds of years!

This attitude was reinforced recently when I heard a speaker from our Horry County Solid Waste Authority (SWA) make a presentation to our Kiwanis Club of Conway.  That prompted me to surf around the SWA’s web site at http://www.solidwasteauthority.org/, and some of that material is referenced in this article.

What happens to the materials that we re-cycle?  The SWA sells the household materials that we recycle to various nearby industries to make products that we would not normally associate with the original item.  For instance:
- Plastic milk jugs recycled in Horry County are used to make synthetic decking.
- Our discarded tin cans are used to make license plates.
- White paper that we recycle is used to make ceiling tiles.
- Glass bottles from Horry County are used to make counter tops and flooring.
- Brown paper and cardboard are used to make paper tubes used in toilet paper and paper towel rolls.
- The Solid Waste Authority partners with Santee Cooper to use methane gas produced by our county’s landfill to generate electrical power.  To learn more about how this program works and how it benefits us as citizens of our area, go to http://www.solidwasteauthority.org/consumers/methane/default.htm.
- Yard debris, small trees, limbs, grass clippings and leaves are processed and re-sold to homeowners and landscapers in our county.  You can purchase recycled yard waste (mulch and compost) from the Horry County Solid Waste Authority for $10 a ton at the Landfill on Hwy. 90.

Does this mean that the SWA workers sort through the garbage that we throw out?  No!  The law does not permit this activity by anyone at a landfill in our state.  Therefore, if we do not make the effort to sort out the recyclables from what we discard, it will not be recycled - meaning it will become our legacy for future generations.

According to our SWA, for every ten pounds of garbage the average American household throws out each week, one to three pounds is food that could be fully composted and recycled in composting bins that we can create on our own.  Add grass clippings, small tree branches, and leaves to make a nutrient-rich compost for your landscaping.

Also, in the U.S. 28 billion bottles and jars are collected for recycling every year. Recycling glass saves energy for making new glass. In fact, recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to provide the power to light a 100-watt bulb for up to four hours.

Here are some other SWA examples of what we can recycle - either with the SWA or elsewhere:

Athletic shoes: Recycle your old athletic shoes at the Nike Myrtle Beach Factory Store, Highway 501, Myrtle Beach for free. The store can only accept only small quantities - 10 pairs or less. Please call (843) 903-0110 for questions or about a larger donation. Only non-metal containing athletic shoes can be accepted. You may also mail your shoes to: Nike Recycling Center, c/o Reuse-A-Shoe, 26755 SW 95th Ave., Wilsonville, OR 97070. The shoes get recycled into the Nike Grind material used for sport surfaces, such as basketball courts.

Batteries:  Car: truck and marine (lead-acid) batteries and rechargeable (Ni-Cad) batteries are accepted at all of the Horry County Recycling Convenience Centers. For regular alkaline household batteries, please check the SWA web site.

Cell phones: You can recycle your old cell phones through a local store or visit Apple’s website at http://www.exphone.org for details about recycling and donations. Your school or business can earn money by recycling.
Computers and electronics: For options on how to recycle your old computers and electronics, please check http://www.solidwasteauthority.org/recycling/electronicwasterecycling.pdf  You may also donate computers and electronics to a local charity or organization who could use them.

Cooking oil and kitchen grease: Used kitchen grease and cooking oil are accepted at all of the Horry County Recycling Convenience Centers.

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and fluorescent lights: You may recycle spent CFL bulbs at any Home Depot store location.  For fluorescent light bulbs, please check SC DHEC’s Center for Waste Minimization at http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/admin/CWM/wmindex/WmindexSearch.aspx for a list of recycling companies.

Household hazardous waste (HHW): This type of waste is collected at the Horry County Solid Waste Authority on Hwy. 90, Conway on the third Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. You may also make an appointment during the weekdays by calling (843) 347-1651.  HHW includes: acids, aerosols, antifreeze, batteries, brake fluids, corrosives, drain openers, flammables, fuel, furniture strippers, gasoline, household cleaners and polishes, kerosene, lighter fluid, oxidizers, paints, pesticides, photo chemicals, poisons, pool chemicals, solvents, thinners, weed killers, wood preservatives. NO explosives, medical waste, radioactive. Questions? Call (843) 347-1651.

Ink/printer cartridges: You can recycle printer cartridges through a mail-in program (the postage is already paid for you!) Just look for printer cartridge envelopes or drop-off boxes at local stores, such as Office Depot, Office Max, Wal-Mart or Best Buy. You can also setup a recycling program with Cartridge World in Myrtle Beach at (843) 839-3455. Your school or business can earn money by recycling.

Motor oil and oil filters: Used motor oil and used oil filters are accepted at all of the Horry County Recycling Convenience Centers.

Plastic grocery bags: The Horry County Solid Waste Authority does not have a collection for plastic grocery bags; however, please recycle these bags at your local grocery store or Wal-Mart.

Scrap metal: Appliances, water heaters, bicycles, lawn furniture and other pieces of scrap metal are accepted at all of the Horry County Recycling Convenience Centers. Do not recycle wire hangers, instead donate those to a charity or local dry cleaners.

Styrofoam is not recyclable in Horry County. Donate your packaging peanuts to a local shipping company or call the Peanut Hotline at (800) 828-2214.

Free tours of the Horry County Solid Waste Authority facilities are available by calling (843) 347-1651 or email .“

Contributed by Paul Smith, owner and operator of SeniorS SuperStoreS.

For more information on the Seniors Superstores visit http://www.seniorssuperstores.com or call (843) 421-3766.

Transitions News Magazine http://www.transitionsnewsmagazine.com