E-cycling event coming up soon

Your annual opportunity to rid your home of difficult-to-dispose-of electronics is coming up in a couple of weeks. Crook County Natural Resource District (CCNRD) will be offering this year’s e-cycling events on September 9 and, as always, the first 100 lbs will be free.

Properly e-cycling your electronics protects your own digital safety as well as groundwater and the environment. CCNRD utilizes ProTech Computing of Gillette to collect and transport items to MeTech Recycling in Denver, an R2-certified facility.

At that point, the electronics are dismantled and repurposed and the hazardous waste is disposed of safely. MeTech maintains E-2 certifications and guarantees that the hard drive information on your digital devices is safely destroyed.

In terms of protecting the environment, electronic waste is known to account for an estimated 70% of toxic waste in U.S. landfills. These materials, such as lead, mercury and cadmium, can seep into soil and groundwater.

Recycling, on the other hand, saves space in landfills and prevents the environmental pollution these items can cause.

CCNRD’s e-cycling event has been offered annually as part of the district’s goal to protect the natural resources of this area. This will mark the eighth year in which members of the community have been invited to bring their electronics for disposal.

Since 2016, CCNRD estimates that almost 9000 pounds of waste have been collected each year with a total of 61,000 pounds of electronic waste recycled.

CCNRD is primarily grant-funded and provides programs for projects such as forest health, range and water development, soil health improvement and trails improvement.

The event has long been supported financially by Sundance and Hulett and those sponsors are joined this year by Sundance State Bank, Powder River Energy, Pinnacle Bank, ONEOK and Neiman Enterprises. Through this, CCNRD is able to again offer the first 100 lbs free, with a discounted rate of 40 cents per pound once this limit is reached.

The two events will be located in Sundance from 10 a.m. to noon at the shade structure at Crook County Fairgrounds and from 2 to 4 p.m. in front of Hulett Town Hall.

When you arrive at either site, staff and volunteers will help you unload your items to be weighed and will assess any charge you may owe if your total weight is above 100 lbs.

It’s helpful for the volunteers if your items are in your trunk or the back of your pickup. Please take your cardboard and Styrofoam with you.

CCNRD will accept computers, Li-ion batteries, cell phones, cameras, computer mice, televisions, copiers, cords and adapters, fax machines, hard drives, stereos, speakers, printer cartridges, telephones, modems, mainframes, projectors, printers, typewriters, CD players, DVD players, VHS players and small household appliances such as toasters and vacuums.

Please do not bring any white goods or large appliances, appliances containing freon, biohazards, liquids of any kind, filters containing liquids, hazardous waste, items containing mercury, radioactive materials or waste or items containing PCB, as these cannot be accepted.

Contact CCNRD with any questions at 307-283-2870 x4 or [email protected].