Annual Green Team Fall Electronics Recycling Event Makes Return, Record Breaking $4,500 Raised

 

WAYNE – Following a year off of hosting their annual electronics recycling event due to COVID-19, the Wayne Green Team had all hands on deck Saturday morning with community members and those from surrounding towns getting rid of their old electronics the right way.

Two eastbound lanes were utilized on 3rd Street near the City Hall parking lot for a scheduled two-hour period, or until the truck was filled up.

Sandy Brown with the Wayne Green Team was happy to host their annual fall electronics recycling event.

“After taking last year off for the pandemic we obviously wanted to make an opportunity available for people to recycle their electronics,” said Brown. “And we knew that there was going to be a lot to come.”

The official start time was 8 a.m., but the line started rolling around 7:40 a.m. with volunteer assistance from student-athletes from Wayne State College women’s soccer as well as men’s basketball. A total of 50 volunteers participated in the event.

Anything from old TVs, computers, laptops, telephones, cell phones, printers, cameras, cords, keyboards and accessories including routers, modems, docking stations, stereos, speakers, CD players and CDs, gaming stations, chargers, VCRs, VHS tapes and more were accepted.

A total of 28 pallets filled the truck as three more pallets were left for later as the group cleaned up and was done by 10:50 a.m. Saturday. This year’s event raised a record total $4,500.

Saturday morning marked the eighth Electronics Recycling Event and since 2013, over 120,000 pounds of electronics have been recycled. This equals 60+ tons.

“We’re just very grateful that all of those electronics are not going into the landfill,” Brown added. “The hazardous materials can leach out and cause damage of groundwater and soil. So, instead we are recycling right. As you can tell, behind me, there’s a lot of old TVs, computers and much more coming out of people’s homes.”

Normally the event allows for up to 20,000 pounds but this year’s grant was for 30,000 pounds. Whatever didn’t fit on the truck Saturday morning was going to be stacked up and another truck will come.

Funding was provided by a $10,896 grant from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy with electronic recycling services by The Retrofit Companies out of Minnesota as this group also recycles the holiday light strings.

“Just want to thank the community for continuing to support our zero efforts in Wayne,” Brown mentioned. “You can bring lots of materials to the Wayne Recycling & Trash Center (RTC). Thank you for supporting sustainability in Wayne.”

For more information on the Wayne Green Team, visit www.cityofwayne.org/greenteam or call 402-375-1733. Also, stay connected with the Wayne Green Team on Facebook.

Information is being finalized for a Household Hazardous Waste event in October.

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