Catawba County winter electronics collection day Saturday, February 4

Catawba County will offer its citizens a free opportunity to properly dispose of computers, televisions and other electronic devices on Saturday February 4, 2012, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Blackburn Landfill, off Highway 10 west of Newton. This will be the third of four collection days offered in this fiscal year following a ban of computer equipment and televisions from disposal in North Carolina landfills that took effect on July 1.

If severely inclement weather prevents the collection on February 4, it will be held on February 11, 2012.

Materials that will be accepted will include, but are not limited to, televisions, computers, laptops, keyboards, mice, cables, printers, VCRs, DVD players, scanners, stereos, cell phones, telephones, copiers, pagers, calculators, fax machines, projection equipment, headphones, speakers, cameras, palm pilots, GPS units, iPods, MP3 players, power supplies, and movie and video equipment.

Paint will also be accepted at the February 4 collection.

To reach the Blackburn Landfill, travel to the intersection of Highway 10 and Hickory-Lincolnton Highway, then turn south onto Hickory-Lincolnton Highway and bear left onto Rocky Ford Road.

All data and data-bearing devices on electronic equipment will be destroyed. The County cannot guarantee the non-disclosure of any information left on equipment, so citizens bringing data-bearing devices are advised to make sure personal data is removed or erased.

“Catawba County will contract with an electronics recycling company that has received all certifications needed to comply with the requirements of the State of North Carolina, to make sure this equipment is properly recycled,” said Amanda Kain, Catawba County’s Waste Reduction Coordinator. “Electronic equipment of this type often contains materials that should not be released into the environment.”

Other electronic waste and paint collections will be held during this fiscal year:

February 4th, 2012 Blackburn Landfill, 4017 Rocky Ford Road, Newton

May 5th, 2012 Catawba County Government Center, 100-A Southwest Blvd., Newton

The May 5 event will be held in conjunction with the County’s twice-a-year Household Hazardous Waste Collection days, during which all types of household hazardous waste will be accepted.

Only paint and electronic wastes will be accepted on February 4, 2012.

According to a release from the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the new landfill ban will also help divert usable materials to a growing electronics recycling industry, which exceeds $50 million and employs more than 300 North Carolinians.

For more information, call the Blackburn Landfill at 704-462-1348 or the County Recycling and Waste Reduction office at 828-465-8217.

/AK