Group Pushes For Household Pollutants Recycling Drop-Off In Tulsa

We'll find out Thursday whether a permanent household chemical drop-off center is on the Tulsa City Council's list of funding priorities.

It would be a first for the city.

Tulsa's environmental watchdogs say it's time to make recycling chemicals as easy as recycling anything else.

The Metropolitan Environmental Trust (The MET) has been conducting household pollutant collection events for 20 years. These semi annual events are responsible for safely disposing of hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil, paint and household chemicals, not to mention bizarre stuff like hand grenades and other explosives.

"Right now, we spend $350,000 each year doing two events. It's so expensive," said The MET's Executive Director Michael Patton.

Patton said he believes there's a better way to collect and dispose of household pollutants: a permanent facility, open year-round.

"There's clearly a need for this facility," Patton said.

Other cities the size of Tulsa in this part of the country have permanent facilities for collected pollutants.

"We make it really difficult for people to do the right thing," Patton said.

The Tulsa City Council will release a preliminary list of projects for a November bond issue Thursday night.

"We are hoping to be on that list," Patton said.

The MET Management Committee is now discussing the changing mission of the trust. Since the City of Tulsa began universal curbside recycling, the blue carts have reduced traffic at the MET recycling centers. A year-round pollutant collection center could fill a need normal recycling services just don't handle.

"This program makes the home safer, makes the neighborhood safer, makes the planet safer," Patton said.

The Tulsa City Council will discuss its preliminary list of capital improvement projects Thursday evening.

There are five upcoming public meetings where you can give your input.

Go here for a list of the meetings.