New year, new phone, TV or laptop? Winnebago County Solid Waste is urging residents to be mindful of how they dispose of electronics as they're turning off the old and booting up new devices. What's the big deal? While it may be tempting to toss old phones in the trash with the rest of the basement junk or haul the TV to the curb, state law bans most electronic devices from Wisconsin’s landfills. "We've seen electronics come into our transfer station on recycling and garbage trucks that service communities from across our County," says Kathy Hutter, Solid Waste Operations Manager. "That means someone put it in their waste or recycling container at home without knowing that broken electronics and their batteries can expose our workers to hazardous materials or start fires in refuse carts, collection trucks and our facilities."
Not only does recycling electronics benefit the community's safety, it also
helps the environment. "Electronic devices contain a variety of materials that can be salvaged, recycled, and reused," says Jessica Hanson, Solid Waste Communications & Program Development Specialist. "Recycling electronics through drop-off programs conserves natural resources and ensures that data left on the device is properly destroyed." Winnebago County residents with household TVs, computers, monitors, printers, DVD/VCR players, gaming systems, tablets, and cell phones are encouraged to bring their devices to Winnebago County Solid Waste for cost-efficient recycling. This service is offered year-round to Winnebago County residents. Fees may apply and limited number of items accepted per customer per day. Recycle your electronics with Winnebago County Solid Waste today!