Electronics Recycling
Regional Refuse Disposal District #1 runs a robust e-waste recycling program and accepts most types of electronics. Computers, laptops, fax machines, stereos, speakers, printers, computer monitors, televisions, telephones and cell phones are all accepted, along with the cables that go with them.
⚠ DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING FROM THE E-WASTE AREA
Residents may not remove, take or purchase any item from the E-Waste collection point.
Electronics left here become District property and are sent for certified destruction and recycling. The collection area is not a tag sale and nothing in it is available to take or buy. The facility is under constant video surveillance, and removing items may result in your dumping privileges being revoked.
Where It Goes
- 1Cut the cords off and place them in the wire box.
- 2Electronics go in the electronics bin. See the yard inspector for the location.
- 3All televisions go to the upper lot, where there is dedicated space for them.
There is no charge for electronics recycling.
Protect Your Data First
Before you drop off any device that stores information, remove the hard drive. Deleting files or resetting a device does not reliably erase what is on it. If you would rather not do this yourself, RRDD1 can assist with destroying hard drives and cell phones — ask at the gatehouse when you arrive.
What Counts as E-Waste?
Most people think of laptops and phones. But anything with a circuit board, a battery or internal wiring belongs in electronics recycling rather than household trash. Here are ten items that surprise people.
- Coffee machines. Drip brewers, pod machines and espresso makers all run on circuit boards and heating elements.
- Fax machines. Uncommon now, but the ones still sitting in closets hold stored memory and a great deal of non-degradable plastic.
- Analog and cordless phones. Even the simplest landline handset has a circuit board inside it.
- Audio and video equipment. Speakers, receivers, amplifiers, turntables, DVD players and mixers. Older audio gear often contains more heavy metal than modern electronics.
- Microwaves contain transformers, control boards and wiring.
- Point-of-sale systems. Card readers and register terminals store customer payment information. Clear the memory before drop-off.
- Printers, scanners and cartridges. The machines themselves plus the ink and toner cartridges that go with them.
- Medical and testing equipment. Monitors, meters and testing units can hold both hazardous components and stored personal health information.
- Cameras. Digital cameras, camcorders, doorbell cameras and security cameras. Most retain images on internal memory, so wipe them first.
- Battery backup units (UPS). These should never go in household trash — the sealed lead-acid batteries inside are a fire risk.
E-Waste Accepted at RRDD1
- Computers, laptops, tablets
- Televisions, computer monitors and LCD screens
- Smartphones and cell phones
- POS systems, switches, routers and networking gear
- Blade servers
- Medical and testing equipment
- Audio, visual and media production equipment
- Printers, VOIP phones and analog phones
- Keyboards, mice, cables and cameras
- Coffee machines and microwaves
- Battery backup (UPS) devices
Not sure whether something qualifies? Call the gatehouse at 860-379-1972 before you load it up.