This post was written by ISTC staff member Kirsten Walker.
The first of two 2013 Countywide Residential Electronics Collections will take place in Champaign, IL on Saturday, April 20.
Got an old TV, computer monitor, or other electronic items not being used anymore? Area residents are invited to bring old or unwanted electronic items to the upcoming Countywide Residential Electronics Collection to have these items responsibly recycled or refurbished. Several teams of community service volunteers will be on hand to unload electronic items from residents’ vehicles. No fees will be collected from persons dropping off items.
The collection will occur, rain or shine, on Saturday, April 20, from 8:00 am to noon at The News-Gazette Distribution Center located at 3202 Apollo Drive in Champaign. Access to the Distribution Center is at the intersection of North Market Street and East Olympian Drive.
Electronics to be accepted at the April 20 collection include: televisions, computers, laptops, computer monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, mice, cables, zip drives, fax machines, PDA’s, video game consoles, mobile phones, microwave ovens, and VCR/DVD/ MP3 players.
Most electronic items contain metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury that are harmful to the environment unless responsibly managed. As of January 1, 2012, televisions, monitors, computers, printers and several other electronic items have been banned from Illinois landfills.
Area governments and private sponsors including The News Gazette, support the 2013 Countywide Residential Electronics Collection as a public service to area residents now that the Illinois landfill ban on electronics is in effect. The Collection also provides a means to educate the public about the local options available to recycle or refurbish electronic items. “We get the word out that convenient and no cost local options are available to residents to responsibly recycle electronics such as TV’s, computers, and monitors,” said Susan Monte, Champaign County Recycling Coordinator.
Information about the upcoming collection on April 20 is available on the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) website at www.ccrpc.org. Persons may also contact CCRPC at 217-328-3313 with questions about the collection.