While much of the sustainability focus is on recycling, it is actually one of the last steps you should take to minimize waste.  Reuse is one of the first and there are many ways to let others reuse what you have around the house at this week’s D9 Responsible Recycling Event.

Supplies Over Seas (SOS), a non-profit based right here in D9, will be participating Saturday.  It’s a Medical Surplus Recovery Organization (MSRO), one of just fifteen across the United States, and the only organization of its type in the immediate region.  As an MSRO, SOS is committed to responsibly recovering, sorting, and distributing unused, leftover, and “under-used” medical supplies and equipment.

Once donated materials have been thoroughly sorted, SOS loads them into a 40 ft. sea-going container and ships them out to a medically impoverished community. In addition, last year alone SOS provided more than 84 medical mission teams with the supplies they needed in order to treat under-served patients around the world.

Over the years, SOS has kept more than 850 tons of usable medical supplies and equipment from landfills, and in so doing brought health and hope to medically impoverished communities in 100 countries, including the United States. 

You can help on Saturday by bringing medical surplus items, including walkers, wheelchairs, orthopedic items, diabetic supplies, ace bandages, gauze pads, canes, etc., to Louisville Water Tower Park from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.  For other ways to help, go here: http://www.suppliesoverseas.org/.

We’d like to feature your sustainability story - a resident or business doing good things for the environment.  Riding the bus, bicycling, walking, gardening and more - our eNews will feature practices which can benefit all of us.  Send your story to Bill Hollander or Kyle Ethridge. 

If you have any items that are not accepted at the Responsible Recycling event, please plan to attend the FREE junk drop-off at Outer Loop this weekend.

A free bulk waste and junk drop-off event will be held on Sunday, May 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Waste Management Outer Loop Landfill, 2673 Outer Loop.  Residents throughout Jefferson County may drop off bulky items not accepted during regular garbage collection such as appliances, furniture and mattresses.

The drop-off event is a partnership of Metro Public Works and Waste Management of Kentucky. Residents are asked to separate metal items from other junk so it can be recycled to conserve limited landfill space.

Items that will not be accepted during the drop-off event include yard waste (grass, limbs, leaves, etc.), hazardous materials, paint, tires and commercial trash.

The event is in addition to regular bulk waste disposal available throughout the year at the Waste Reduction Center located at 636 Meriwether Avenue. In the year round service, up to three bulk items per household are accepted free of charge during regular operating hours Tuesday - Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Materials such as oil and lead-based paints, lawn fertilizers, batteries and household chemicals may be taken to the Household Hazardous Materials Collection Center, known as Haz Bin, at 7501 Grade Lane. The center is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no charge for Louisville residents for Haz Bin services.

MSD is taking comments on the conceptual design for the Lexington and Payne CSO (combined sewer overflow) basin project - a covered underground basin. By visiting MSD’s website, you can view a full video of an April 26 public meeting and make your comments about the basin, including where it should be located on the old River Metals property. 

The basin will greatly lessen the occurrence of combined sewer overflows—untreated sewage—entering Beargrass Creek during rain events. More information on the Lexington & Payne CSO Basin Project and your opportunity to comment is here: http://msdprojectwin.org/Public-Input/Lexington-Payne-CSO-Storage-Basin.aspx. 

Louisville’s “pothole blitz” is over but you can still help us repair the remaining potholes by reporting them with a specific address.   

Citizens are urged to report potholes to MetroCall by dialing 311 or 574-5000. Reports may also be made through an online service request at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metrocall-311. You can now download a smartphone application to report issues.  For more information click here. Potholes on interstate highways should be reported to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet at 1-877-For-KYTC (367-5982).

Potholes result from a combination of water that seeps through cracks caused by normal wear and tear in asphalt, repeated freezing and thawing temperatures, and the weight of traffic. Cold temperatures cause the water to freeze and expand, weakening the pavement. The weight of traffic on the weakened pavement then breaks the asphalt, eventually leaving a hole that grows as more traffic goes over it.

Please help us make driving better and safer by reporting potholes to MetroCall. 

On May 21st from 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Frankfort Avenue between Lexington Road and Bauer Avenue will be transformed into one of the best street festivals in Louisville! You’ll find bands, food, vendors, and activities for both adults and children. Showcased will be area retailers, restaurants, and live entertainment. Family fun and activities include the free Kids Zone, Fun Zone and Wellness Fair. You’ll find vendors who have something special, unique or delicious to share with everyone! For more information visit: http://stmatthewsstreetfestival.com/. 

The Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) will host the 8th Annual Buy Local Fair on Sunday, May 22 from 12:00pm - 6:00pm at Louisville Water Tower Park, 3005 River Road. Presented by Louisville Water Company, admission to the Buy Local Fair is free and parking is $5 per vehicle, or free for bicycle parking.

The fair will include a marketplace of more than 200 booths from local businesses, artists and craftspeople, community organizations, and farmers, as well as a craft beer tent sponsored by ValuMarket, over 25 food and drink vendors, a cooking competition, aerial circus acts, a silent auction, and the H2O Kid's Zone sponsored by Louisville Water. You can also BYOB (bring your own bottle - for water!) to fill up at the Louisville Pure Tap® to GO stations.

To volunteer, please sign up here to select a shift and location. 

Botanica and the Waterfront Botanical Gardens are hosting a Beargrass Creek Canoe Tour with David Wicks on Saturday, May 28 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Attendees should plan to meet at the Louisville Community Boathouse, 1325 River Road. This event features a 3-hour canoe tour with host David Wicks, who has dedicated much of his life's work to the history and current clean-up efforts of Beargrass Creek. This event is open to both Botanica members and non-members. Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members and can be purchased online: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/Botanica/canoetours.html 

The District 9 office recently allocated $150 of D9 Neighborhood Development Funds (NDF) to the Center For Neighborhoods.  The funding will provide an opportunity for 10 District 9 residents to attend the 2016 Neighborhood Summit and covers the cost of each ticket at $15 per participant.

To register to attend, please contact the Center for Neighborhoods at 589-0343 or email summit@centerforneighborhoods.org. Each participant must register themselves individually and the 10 available tickets are on a first come, first served basis.