Mid-Mo Recycling to have electronic waste recycling event in Columbia

COLUMBIA — Nearly 200 televisions, 262 monitors and more than 100 cell phones. All told, the unwanted electronics weighed 60,000 pounds.

The May collection of electronic waste was so successful that another recycling event has been set for later this month. Mid-MO Recycling plans to operate acollection of e-waste from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 18 in the Home Depot parking lot at 3215 Clark Lane.

The city of Columbia and Home Depot on Clark Lane are also partners in the event.

This will be the trio's second collection this year.

Layli Terrill, waste minimization supervisor at the Solid Waste Division, said the city "gets calls all the time about items and how to dispose of them. And our goal is to provide residents with an outlet for recycling electronics.”

Terrill said the city doesn't separate electronic waste from other trash. “It’s the individual’s responsibility,” she said.

Most items are collected free of charge, but a few require small fees to cover heavy-item shipping: $5 for computer monitors and microwaves, $10 for portable televisions, $20 for console televisions and $25 for copiers. Hard drives require a $5 fee if removed; $10 if left in the computer.

After the collection, all equipment except the monitors is disassembled in Columbia by Mid-MO Recycling. Because of the lead content, monitors are shipped to Dcal Services in St. Louis.

“Everything is disassembled here, and the parts stay in the U.S.,” Terrill said.

Microwaves and old televisions are among some common heavy items, Terrill said.

Refrigerators and hazardous materials will not be accepted. A full list of possible items accepted can be found in a flier at gocolumbiamo.com.