This weekend is your last chance to clear that old computer out of your closet before the snow flies. The “E-rase your E-waste” program is hosting its final collection for 2012 this Friday and Saturday, Sept 7-8, at the Richland County Shop, 2140 W. Holly in Sidney, next to the Fairgrounds.
Already 160-plus individuals, businesses, government agencies and organizations have recycled 291 monitors; 283 processors, 166 printers and 139 TVs, along with thousands of smaller items at the group’s four FREE summer mini-collections, according to organizers. That amounts to three semi-truck loads.
The Sept 7-8 weekend wrap up event is again FREE to the public, organizers report, and will run from noon to 7 pm on Friday (Sept. 7) and 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday (Sept. 8).
“The times are slightly different this year,” Jackie Couture, co-coordinator of the e-waste event, said. “We’re starting a little later both days, than we have in the past, but we’re also extending the hours a bit at the end of each day which we hope will be helpful for people.”
For those interested in more details on the event and acceptable items for e-cyling, help is available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/npa/nparl/ewaste. Businesses, schools and other organizations with large amounts of e-waste to recycle are asked to make an appointment to drop off their items by calling Couture at 406-433-9422. Please leave a message.
The “E-rase your E-waste” program allows area businesses and residents to dispose of their old, obsolete electronic products in an environmentally friendly manner. The annual collection effort is coordinated by the USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab in Sidney, the Richland County Local Emergency Planning Committee, and Richland Opportunities, Inc., aided by volunteers with the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program. Richland County provides free use of its shop for the collection and storage and UNICOR serves as the e-cycler for the event. Helping to provide equipment supplies and promotional funding are Sidney Health Center, Richland County Solid Waste, Lower Yellowstone REA, Sidney Sugars and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
“It takes a lot of help to hold these events and everyone’s support and cooperation is very much appreciated,” Couture said. “In particular, we want to thank our RSVP volunteers, most of whom help us out regularly at all our collections, year after year. We definitely couldn’t do it without them!”
More help, however, is always welcome, Couture added, noting that if anyone is interested in volunteering to help with the unloading and packaging of items at the September event, they should please call Rita Jacobsen at 406-433-2207 to sign up.
For more information on the E-rase your E-waste event, please contact Jackie Couture at 406-433-9422 or Cindy Eleson at 406-488-3341.
Reader Comments(0)