Electronics Recycling and Household Toxic Materials Drop-off for Black Hawk County Residents

The Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission will co-sponsor an electronics recycling and household toxic materials drop-off event on Saturday, April 11 from 9 AM - 2 PM. The City of Waterloo will host the event at 3505 Easton Avenue (Waste Water Treatment Plant), but this commission-sponsored event is open to all Black Hawk County citizens for approved items from their homes and garages (fees may apply). Follow the signs from the corner of Highway 218 and Mitchell Avenue to the drop-off site. Volunteers will unload your items for you. For safety reasons, you must stay in your vehicle at the drop-off. Business waste will not be accepted.

Approximately 40 volunteers (age 18 or older) are needed to help unload items, direct traffic, survey participants, and make this event run as efficiently as possible. Two volunteer shifts are available: from 7:40 AM - 2:15 PM or from 7:40 AM - 12:15 PM. To volunteer, contact Tammy Turner at 319-266-TRAC (8722) or by email ( tturner@co.black-hawk.ia.us ). During a similar event last Fall (in Cedar Falls), volunteers unloaded 29.4 tons (58,789 pounds) of electronics from 862 vehicles during the 5 hour event! Photos from that event can be found on the “Waste Trac Education Team” Facebook page.

Black Hawk County residents can get rid of old cleaners, propane tanks, fluorescent light bulbs (compact and tube), mercury thermometers, and much more. Chemists from Clean Harbors Environmental will be on-site to sort the hazardous materials for safe disposal. Midwest Electronics Recovery will recycle all unwanted electronics. Each vehicle/household may bring two Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) containing devices for free (older TV’s and computer monitors with the bump in the back). Additional CRTs are $5 each (with no limit). Please bring exact cash only. Bills larger than $20 will not be accepted. All hard drives will be shredded. Many other electronic and electrical items (keyboards, vacuums, VCR/DVD players, radios, stereos, treadmills, holiday lights, and much more) will be recycled at no cost. A complete list of accepted items can be found online at WasteTrac.org.

The following items will not be accepted at the event: paint, appliances (including microwaves, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, washers, refrigerators, etc.), tires, motor oil, antifreeze, asbestos, ammunition, fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, radioactive materials, or non-hazardous waste. REMINDER: Electronics waste and hazardous materials from businesses will not be accepted. To dispose of appliances or large bulk items, please call your city public works office or neighborhood association. For paint drying tips and a list of vendors that can assist businesses, please call the Waste Trac Education Team at 319-266-8722.