To the Editor:

Spring Cleanup 2013, held April 6 this year, was again a successful community recycling endeavor.

The Rural Preservation Association of Northwestern Lehigh County is grateful for the volunteer spirit of its members and for the generosity of Lowhill Township for offering its municipal building and site.

We appreciate Carl Kressley and his crew who facilitated the set up and handling of the collection containers and worked alongside the RPA volunteers at the event.

All the hours spent by our willing members to set up the event and provide manpower on April 6 are greatly appreciated.

The RPA would like to thank the following businesses for their assistance: Berger Sanitation for providing the roll-offs for trash collection; 309 Auto for being on site to collect waste oil and transmission fluids; The Salvation Army for scheduling a truck to accept household items; E. Schneider and Sons for assistance with scrap metal and appliance recycling; Systech Environmental for its tire recycling trailers, AERC in Allentown for accepting the electronics, household batteries and fluorescent lights, and Bagel Bunch for the delicious breakfast treats that helped keep volunteers energized.

Collection totals for the event were: one large roll-off of non-recyclable trash, 80 gallons of used oil and transmission fluids, one tractor trailer of tires, 5,700 lbs. of ferrous metals, 220 lbs. of aluminum, 3 lbs. of mercury, 5,604 lbs. monitors and TVs, 3,108 lbs. miscellaneous electronic waste, 175 assorted fluorescent lights, several large bags of baling twine, assorted car and household batteries and about half a truck load of household items for re-use.

The RPA offers a scholarship to a Northwestern Lehigh senior intending to pursue studies in agriculture or environmental science from funds remaining after Cleanup fees are covered.

This year, sadly, no senior applied for the scholarship money, so the group intends to carry forward the funds to 2014 in hope applications will be submitted for the scholarships.

It is heartening to see the proliferation of other recycling and cleanup events in the area.

The RPA began Spring Cleanup in the 1990s and has seen it evolve with much more emphasis on electronics recycling, but residents seem to appreciate the opportunity to drop off a variety of items at one location.

Northwestern Lehigh is benefitting from all the efforts of many groups to provide recycling venues.

Teena Bailey, president

Rural Preservation Association

of Northwestern Lehigh County