Montgomery County Electronic Recycling Events for 2009
As a professional organizer, I often find
that my clients have dead electronic equipment cluttering their closets or their garages. The e-waste is there because they do not know what to do with it. I appreciate they don’t want to simply toss the TV, computer, or microwave in the trash! Most would agree, that our landfills are full enough.
I spoke with Peter Karasik who is the Section Chief of the Division of Solid Waste Services of Montgomery County. We spoke about the upcoming electronic recycling events in Montgomery County. He recommends to residents they stay in their vehicles as they approach the unloading zone. They have staff who will unload the cars. This keeps the traffic moving and makes the process faster for everyone.
For the drop-off, electronics should not be in boxes or bags unless you have multiple small electronics or if want to keep cables or power supplies together. Karasik estimated they could collect 20 – 40 tons of electronics during each collection date. The e-waste is shipped off to a processing plant in Elkridge, Maryland called E-Structors. E-Structors does all the data destruction, separates the glass, pulls the copper from wires, and cuts up circuit boards into 1″ squares. Their process is EPA-approved and results in the materials being 100% separated and recycled. Nothing from their process ever enters the nation’s waste stream. That’s incredible!
In my opinion, Montgomery County continues to lead the way promoting their recycling efforts. They’ve published a calendar on their blog of the upcoming recycling events and you can subscribe to receive future dates via email. You can also follow the recycling events on Twitter by following @GoGreenMC Here’s the full list for the my faithful readers of TheOrganizingAgency.com!
12:00 PM – 4:00 PMElectronics Recycling Event at Poolesville High School16 Chestnut St Gaithersburg, MD 20877
12:00 PM – 4:00 PMElectronics Recycling at Baker Middle School
25400 Oak Drive, Damascus 20872
Note the program for electronics is open to all Montgomery County residents and businesses.
Accepted items include:
- Small Electronic Appliances, Calculators, & Camcorders
- CDs and Floppy Disks, CD Players, & Cell Phones
- Computers & Computer-Related Products
- Consumer Electronics, Copiers,Cords & Cables (including chargers)
- Digital Cameras, & Electronic Typewriters
- Fax Machines, Microwave Overs, & Personal Digital Assistant Equipment
- Printers, Projection Equipment, & Scanners
- Telephones, Small Electronic Toys, Televisions, & VCRs,
I love that every single item collected is recycled! Did you notice they do not accept videotapes? I’m looking for a local resource for people to recycle VCR tapes.
If you live in Montgomery County or know someone who does, tell them to clear out their closets, garages, attics and basements. It’s time to recycle all their electronics in Montgomery County, Maryland!
Written by Scott Roewer
Certified Professional Organizer®, Scott Roewer is founder of The Organizing Agency, a professional organization and productivity company devoted to teaching residential and business clients how to increase productivity, save money, and how to live a more organized and abundant life.
An award winning company, in 2013, The Organizing Agency was once again awarded the Angie’s List Super Service award, in 2012 the National Association of Professional Organizers recognized Scott with its top honor, the Founders’ Award, and later the same year, the U.S. Air Force commended his volunteerism, naming him Joint Base Andrews “Hometown Hero.” For more information on Scott’s team and how they can help you, contact the office online or call us directly at 202-249-8330.