Though summer has unofficially begun, Allegheny County officials are helping residents with broken computers and leftover cords and cables by offering a place to recycle electronics and other hard-to-recycle items. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4, at the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, residents can drop off computers, keyboards, car tires and more.
The event is co-hosted by the Allegheny County Health Department and the Pennsylvania Resources Council. According to Darren Spielman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council, the events have diverted more than 3.3 million pounds of e-waste from more than 40,000 households since 2003.
“It’s important to divert electronics and other hard-to-recycle materials from landfills since many contain toxic elements that can harm the environment, while others contain valuable materials that can be recycled,” said Spielman.
Organizers are asking residents to register in advance for the collection event.
Materials that will be collected at no cost include computer towers, laptops, mice, keyboards, cellphones, landline phones, electronic tablets, servers, routers, modems, DVD and VCR players, stereos, microwaves, copiers and scanners, cables, video game consoles, expanded polystyrene packaging material and glass containers.
The following materials will be collected for a fee:
- Computer monitors ($20 each)
- Televisions ($30 each)
- Console or rear projection TVs ($40 each)
- Printers ($5 each)
- Small freon devices like window A/C units and mini-refrigerators ($10 each)
- Fluorescent tubes ($2 per four-foot tube)
- Car or truck tires ($5 without rims, $12 with rims)
The event will also assist with hard drive data destruction and verification for a fee of $11 for the first drive and $3 for each additional drive after that. Payments can be made via cash, check, credit and debit cards.
Organizers will not collect batteries, CFL bulbs, DVDs, VHS or cassette tapes.
Other Allegheny County hard-to-recycle collection events will be held on the following Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
- July 23 – Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale
- July 30 – Next Tier Connect @ Pittsburgh East, Monroeville
- October 1 – Settlers Cabin Park
More information on the Pennsylvania Resources Council’s 2022 collection events can be found on their website here. Residents may register for future collection events and view a list of acceptable materials. Those unable to register online may call 412-488-7490 extension 1 to register over the phone.
