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Community Corner

Recycle Your Household Items to Protect the Environment

Area businesses offer many options for disposing of electronics and medications

Proper recycling or disposal of your hazardous waste items such as computers, electronics, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, and medications protects our environment for generations to come.  And, for many items, it’s also a law.

Computers and electronics

As of Sept. 1, 2010, Wisconsin's electronics recycling law, 2009 Wisconsin Act 50, bans the landfilling and incineration of electronic devices.

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Many of these items contain toxic substances such as lead, cadmium, chromium, nickel, additional heavy metals and chemical flame retardants, which can seep into our environment if dumped into landfills.

This law includes the following items:

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  • Televisions and computer monitors
  • Desktop and laptop computers, netbook and tablet computers
  • Desktop printers, including those that scan, fax and/or copy
  • Computer accessories such as keyboards, mice, speakers, external hard drives and flash drives
  • DVD players, VCRs and DVRs
  • Fax machines
  • Cell phones

The following locations accept the items listed above:

Goodwill – Menomonee Falls
W178N9315 Water Tower Place    262-253-0018

  • All southeastern Wisconsin Goodwill donation locations accept the electronics listed above, whether or not they are operable.  They will resell, and reuse or recycle the parts of these items.  They recycle old computer equipment in any condition through the Dell Reconnect program. 
  • There is a full list of accepted items here.

Best Buy – Menomonee Falls
N95W15915 Richfield Way    262-255-2972  

  • Most Best Buy locations accept old computers and electronics, but a fee applies to televisions, computer monitors and laptops.  A complete detailed list can be found here

Batteries and Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Household batteries, especially rechargeable batteries used in phones, cameras, drills and radio controlled cars contain hazardous materials such as mercury, lithium, silver cadmium, lead and acids.  By recycling these batteries, reusable metals can be saved from landfills or incinerators where they can seep into the environment.

Recycling fluorescent light bulbs prevents the release of mercury into the environment.

The following locations accept household batteries and fluorescent light bulbs:


N64W24330 Main St.     262-246-3707

  • Fluorescent light bulbs
  • Rechargeable batteries for phone, drills, cameras and other items

of Menomonee Falls
N96 W18355 County Line Rd.    262-250-0222

  • Fluorescent light bulbs
  • Rechargeable batteries for phone, drills, cameras and other items
  • Alkaline non-rechargeable batteries –  a 99 cents per pound fee applies for recycling

Medications

On Saturday, May 14 from 9 a.m. to noon there will be a biannual drug collection to safely dispose of unused and expired controlled and uncontrolled substances sponsored by Waukesha County Drug Free Communities Coalition at five locations including Menomonee Falls. 

Community Memorial Hospital of Menomonee Falls


W180N8085 Town Hall Rd. Entrance B

Items accepted in the collection drive include:

  • Prescription medication
  • Over the counter medication
  • Ointments
  • Sprays
  • Inhalers
  • Creams
  • Vials
  • Herbals
  • Pet medications
  • Mercury

For more information, view the Drug Free Communities Coalition website

 

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