Wondering what to do with all those outdated computers, televisions and other electronic gadgets – including cell phones? Hopefully you will take advantage of the Recycling Center’s environmentally safe disposal event scheduled for Saturday, January 14, 2006. Did you know that many of these items contain hazardous and toxic materials that don’t need to go into our landfills? Things like - lead in monitors and televisions; brominated flame retardants in plastic housings; mercury in batteries, switches and flat screens; arsenic in transistors and printed circuit boards; as well as cadmium, chromium, beryllium, nickel, zinc and lithium. These materials need to be handled by people properly trained to deal with them which is why we contract with vendors specializing in recycling electronic equipment. At this event Mark5R Processors will take the equipment, perform data swipes on all computers, refurbish units that can be, dissemble the others and then recycle or properly dispose of whatever is left. In their agreement with us, they certify that none of this material gets sent overseas to add to the problem of dumping hazardous materials on other countries. This company is also willing to go directly to a business or institution that might have a large amount of computer equipment that needs to be properly disposed of. You may contact the Recycling Center at 706/291-5266 for more information on that service.
On Saturday, January 14, 2006 you can bring those old computers, televisions and other electronics to the State Mutual Baseball Stadium (Rome Braves Stadium) from 10am – 3pm. The event is FREE and open to all residents and businesses from Floyd, and surrounding counties. It is estimated that over 300 million computers, televisions and cell phones will be discarded this year alone, an awesome volume of potentially hazardous stuff. Our hope is that the portion of those computers that will be discarded here in Floyd County will not find their way into our landfill but will be brought to the recycling day instead. If you have to miss this one, we will be offering another opportunity to recycle them in the Spring at our annual Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day as well. That date will be announced later.