Wash County’s electronics collection moves to Wash Mall
Washington County’s popular electronics collection program will move to Washington Mall Sept. 4 after its turnout proved too large for its previous home at the county fairgrounds.
The program’s June collection attracted so many people that it caused a traffic jam outside the fairgrounds on North Main Street Extension. Jason Theakston, a Washington County Planning Commission official, said each event draws about 350 cars.
The collection will now be held in the parking lot beside the closed Toys R Us, at 301 Oak Spring Road. Participants should enter and exit the lot at the store’s entrance, at the stop light on Oak Spring Road near Big Lots.
The event will run from 2 to 5 p.m. Another collection will happen on Nov. 6 at the same location.
Accepted items include computer equipment- like monitors, computer towers and bases, mice, keyboards and speakers – notebook computers, printers, televisions, Freon appliances, fluorescent tubes, CFL bulbs and most household appliances. Vacuum cleaners, carpet scrubbers, smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are not accepted.
Most items will be collected free of charge, but participants looking to recycle damaged or dismantled TVs will be charged a $50 hazardous handling fee. The program also charges participants $1 per CFL bulb and fluorescent tube and $15 for Freon appliances. Participants are limited to one TV per car at each collection event.
Since its start in 2016, the collection has served more than 7,000 people and taken in more than 640,000 pounds of material. Washington County partners with JVS Environmental Services, which recycles the collected electronics.