Jefferson City collects thousands of old electronic items Saturday

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Jefferson City provided its residents with an opportunity to declutter Saturday morning during an electronic recycling event.

The event allowed residents to drop off old cell phones, TVs, computers, and other gadgets that have been collecting dust.

According to Dawn Kirchner, the neighborhood specialist for Jefferson City, the city hosts an e-waste recycling event at least twice a year to help the community free up space for newer items.

"I notice there's already Black Friday events, so people are buying new, and what do you do with the old stuff? This was they can have an option for the old stuff," Kirchner said.

From 9 a.m. to noon, cars lined East Miller Street as residents unloaded everything from laptops, to microwaves.

"People have a lot of, you know, dead computers. Obviously dead TVs and microwaves around their house and they take up space and they don't know what to do with them," Kirchner said.

That's is where TechRemove comes in.

The recycling company specializes in collecting and repurposing unwanted electronics, giving them a second chance at life. This marked the second time TechRemove has organized an e-waste collection in Jefferson City this year.

Resale manager Patrick Brawley said that their busiest time period runs from spring to early winter, with three to four collections each month.

"A lot of these items can be repaired and resold online, which is how we're able to take most materials at no charge," Brawley said.

However, there is a fee for collecting projection TVs, CRT TVs, plasma TVs, and CRT monitors, which range from $5 to $30. Brawley said that the fee helps cover transportation costs for shipping the items to St. Louis.

One of the largest contributions came from Lincoln University, which donated two truckloads of outdated equipment, according to Kirchner.

"Universities, businesses, they get a lot of e-waste, and it's hard to find a way to get rid of it," Kirchner said.

Beyond electronics, hazardous household waste remains a growing concern in the community.

"People have a lot of household hazardous waste, insecticides, pesticides, gas, aerosols, propane sitting around the house, and they don't want to throw it away," Kirchner said.

Future events organized by Jefferson City Recycle will be posted on their Facebook page.