Monroe County recycling centers are now open five days a week, and they have expanded their services to include bulky items and electronics, the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District recently announced.
At the Ellettsville Recycling Center, located at 6200 N. Matthews Dr., hours are now 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. It is closed on Thursday and Sunday.
Bulky item drop-off is set to visit the four Monroe County recycling centers on a rotating basis. The Ellettsville center will be the drop-off point on the first week of every month. January is included in that schedule, which means the bulky item drop-off is at the Ellettsville center until Jan. 12.
Additionally, the district has eliminated fees associated with recycling electronics and is now accepting them at all recycling locations.
This comes as a result of a new contract with Electronic Recyclers International. The e-waste processing facility is able to recycle 100% of the electronics sent to it into metals, plastics and glass.
“Many electronics contain harmful substances that can leach into the environment if thrown in a landfill. That action not only pollutes soil, air, and water, but is a waste of our precious natural resources. The public can be assured that all electronic devices are properly recycled. No electronics are placed in landfills and nothing is illegally exported to other nations,” ERI said in a press release.
Though the service is now available, the district is clear that they would prefer Monroe County residents to first attempt to repair broken electronics or to give away working electronics they no longer want before bringing them to a recycling center.
At a Jan. 7 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ellettsville Recycling Center, Elisa Pokral, the waste management firm’s media and education director, said the company would like to hear from county residents about the expansion of services. Those interested in commenting can do so at gogreendistrict.com.
Originally published in Ellettsville Journal, 2013. Republished here for archival and portfolio purposes.