Get rid of your electronic junk next month

Have items from your garage sale this weekend you still want to get rid of?

Residents from Gifford, Ogden, Royal, St. Joseph as well as surrounding homes in Unincorporated Champaign County are eligible to drop off unwanted or non-functioning electronic items at this year's Champaign County Electronic Recycling Event on May 18.

Online registration opened yesterday and several time slots are already filled. You must register through the portal to receive a postcard to gain entry to the event.

To register, go to Countywide Electronic Recycling. Simply click on an available time and complete the online form. Expect to receive your postcard within two weeks after submitting the form. For those who did not receive their postcard before the event or leave it behind, you can show your confirmation email/text at the entrance on your smart device or laptop.

Eligible individuals with postcards may dispose up to four televisions of any make or model. Organizers do not consider computer monitors a TV. Up to seven items per postcard can be left at the event. Small items can be bundled or put into a small box and counted as one item.

Items accepted for this year's event include TVs, computers, computer monitors, printers, typewriters, electronic keyboards, facsimile machines, VCRs, DVD players/recorders, portable digital music players, video game consoles, electronic mice, scanners, digital converter boxes, cable receivers, satellite receivers, small scale servers, accessory computer/monitor speakers, ink & toner cartridges, extension cords, surge protectors, computer cables, microwaves, holiday string lights, all phones and accessories, digital cameras/mini cams, uninterrupted power supplies, backup batteries, chargers for portable devices, and computer networking equipment including switches, routers, hubs and modems.

The following items will not be accepted: Wooden, metal, or plastic stereo speakers; units or items that contain liquids; items that contain freon such as AC units and dehumidifiers; freezers, refrigerators and dishwashers; small appliances including but not limited to blenders, coffee makers, toasters; lamps, vacuum cleaners, fans, cash registers, thermostats and thermometers; light bulbs, fluorescent bulbs or tubes; smoke or carbon monoxide detectors; and loose alkaline batteries.

Unless there is severe weather during the collection time, rain or shine (or snow), the event will go on as planned. Thunder and lightning activity will not cancel the event. Inclement weather may slow things down, but past experience has shown the additional wait time to be minimal.

For more information visit the official 2019 electronics recycling page. You may also send email inquiries to recycling@champaignil.gov or call 217-403-4780 or 217-384-2302.