Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
By ZACHARY MARANO
Ironwood — Michigan residents can properly dispose of some of their electronics for free in a waste collection event in Ironwood on Wednesday. The collection will take place at the Gogebic Range Solid Waste Transfer Station on E5917 U.S. 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Items that will be accepted free of charge include: CPUs, tablets, fax machines, cell phones, routers, copy machines, scanners, radios, telephones, stereos, video game systems, and DVD, VCR and CD players.
Other electronics, including computer monitors, televisions and CRT monitors, will be accepted for $5 each.
The e-waste collection event is open to all Michigan residents, not just those in cities and townships served by the Gogebic Range Solid Waste Management Authority.
According to a press release from the Gogebic Range Solid Waste Management Authority, data-containing devices will be securely managed, but the authority encourages people to remove any sensitive or personal information from their hard drives or other electronics before disposing of them.
The press release said people should dispose of their electronic devices separately from their usual garbage to keep them out of landfills.
Electronics devices contain toxic substances and heavy metals such as chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead, which can contaminate the air, soil and waterways through landfills.
The GRSWM Authority is hosting the collection in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the Superior Watershed Partnership, a nonprofit organization that implements conservation and public education projects.
The transfer station is normally open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon. As of July, the transfer station offers recycling services but does not accept glass or plastic. These recycling services are free for residents of Ironwood Township, Bessemer Township, Marenisco Township and the city of Wakefield.
