Ameri-Corps volunteers helping with the 2019 E-rase your E-waste spring event. In 2019, the program topped 500,000 lbs. of e-waste collected since its inception 15 years earlier. (Photo submitted)
E-rase your E-waste organizers have announced they will be hosting their 16th annual fall collection event on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11-12 in Sidney. But like so many other activities, there will be a number of extra precautions taken to keep participants and volunteers safe given the COVID-19 pandemic, new program coordinator Heather Luinstra said.
"We will be following county public health guidelines," Luinstra said, adding that volunteers will be wearing masks. "Members of the public will be asked to stay in their vehicles whenever possible," she noted. "If they need to get out for any reason, we ask that they wear a mask or at a minimum maintain social distancing guidelines."
Fairview, too, will be hosting a joint collection this fall, on Saturday, Sept. 12. "Fairview normally holds its one-day event in May, but since no spring collections were done this year because of COVID-19, they decided to join in the fall collection," Lunistra said.
Collection times for the Sept. 11-12 event in Sidney are as follows: 3-7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 11, and 9 a.m.- noon, Saturday, Sept. 12. The event is open to area residents throughout the MonDak. Fairview's collection event is on Saturday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m.-noon.
In Sidney, the 2020 collection site is again the Richland County Shop, 2140 W., next to the fairgrounds. Please note, the county shop is available for drop offs during event times ONLY. In Fairview, the collection site is at the water station on 9th Street. Fairview seniors or others needing assistance in delivering their e-waste may call Judge Ray Trumpower at 742-5616. Saturday ONLY, please.
As in recent years, Yellowstone E-waste Solutions out of Billings is the e-cycler for the event and continues to offer their services for FREE, including all handling and shipping costs related to the Sidney and Fairview collections. "The only exception is a $7 charge for removing a hard drive for those needing certificates of destruction or just wanting to hang on to their hard drives themselves," Luinstra noted.
"We are so pleased to be able to offer this event free each year," she added, "but recognize that, like many small businesses right now, Yellowstone is being squeezed by the pandemic, so to assist them in maintaining a free event for our community, there will be a drive up donation box available for anyone wanting to make a small contribution toward this event."
As in past years, local businesses, agencies and organizations with large amounts to e-cycle are asked to make an appointment to drop off their items on Friday prior to the 3 p.m. start by calling Luinstra at 406-433-2207 or emailing [email protected].
Where possible larger recyclers are also encouraged to palletize their own items or send extra staff to help with it. Details on acceptable items and how to palletize them can be found in the "What to Bring..." handout posted to the USDA-ARS Northern Plains Agricultural Research Lab's e-waste website: https://www.ars.usda.gov/pa/nparl/ewaste.
Regardless of how many items you have to recycle, there remain certain types of e-waste that cannot be recycled at this event. "Unfortunately, our e-cycler still cannot accept any monitors or televisions with cathode ray tubes (CRTs)," Luinstra noted, "also NO projection TV units or consoles." Other limitations include the standards: NO consumer white goods, vacuums, light bulbs, CFLs, mercury thermometers, alkaline batteries (rechargeable are okay), or items containing refrigerants (including dehumidifiers), oils, or acids.
That said, most other electronic devices are being accepted, Luinstra noted. Those include computers and their components (printers, scanners, keyboards, flat screen monitors, etc.), cell phones, cameras, VCRs, cable TV boxes, fax machines, copiers, stereos, game boys and specialized electronic equipment used in businesses such as hospitals, law enforcement, manufacturing and even the oil field.
The "E-rase your E-waste" effort is now in its 16th year and has kept more than 500,000 lbs, or 250 tons, of e-waste out of our local landfill since the event began in 2005.
The e-waste event in Sidney is coordinated by members of the Richland County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), Richland County Disaster and Emergency Services, and the USDA Agricultural Research Lab. The Richland County Public Works Department also makes their facilities freely available for the collection event.
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