Electronic Recycling Now Available In VC

Many people browse the Black Friday sales and decide the holidays are a good time to upgrade their televisions, computers, laptops, cell phones, etc. These new purchases replace older versions, which are then either thrown away or placed out of sight, out of mind in the house. Glasgow resident and owner/operator of Glasgow Montana Recycling Adam Hooper has teamed up with the Valley County Landfill to help recycle those outdated and unwanted electronics not only for the holiday season but beyond.

At the Valley County Landfill there is a new, clearly marked bin next to the bin for ashes, where computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones, VCRs, DVD players, flat panel monitors, stereo components, in addition to other electronics, can be placed for recycling. “If it plugs in, I will do my best to recycle it!,” exclaimed Hooper. Larger metal items such as washers, dryers and stoves will continue to go in the designated area of the landfill for recycling.

Items that contain light bulbs and/or household batteries are not permitted in the bin due to the mess they create. “Broken glass is no fun to clean up and the batteries may leak and cause a real mess,” explained Hooper. “The government considers these items ‘universal waste.’ These rules do not apply to the average homeowner but for a business, these rules could result in lots of paperwork and headaches.”

Another thing to keep in mind when disposing of your electronics in the bin is the amount of material it’s made out of. “Plastic is another issue when it comes to recycling. There is just no reasonable viable way to recycle plastic in the ‘middle of nowhere.’ Items like keyboards, computer mice and home printers are mostly plastic and will likely end up in the landfill,” Hooper stated.

As items are dropped off at the landfill, Hooper will collect them and then start the process of breaking each item into their individual parts for recycling. Any metals and insulated cooper wires will make their way to the scrapyard, while higher end circuit boards out of computers and laptops will get sent to a company in Ohio.

Recycling electronics is nothing new for Hooper as he has been doing the hobby since 2014 and started as a way to stay busy during the Montana winters. For the past six years, he has worked with several area residents, businesses and schools to recycle electronics, while also offering a pickup service in the Glasgow area for larger quantities of electronics. The idea to team up with the Landfill started a few years back when Hooper reached out to Landfill manager Brian “Auzzy” Austin and finally came into fruition this past summer. “This extends an opportunity for Valley County residents that live outside the Glasgow area a chance to drop off items if they head into town for other reasons,” said Hooper.

Even with the addition of the bin at the landfill, Hooper is still offering pickup service for area seniors and those without a pickup for larger items and appliances. For those who are concerned about personal information on devices, he is also willing to pick up those items and ensure all information on the hard drive is destroyed. “If you have just an item or two, that is what the bin is intended for,” stressed Hooper.

In addition to the recycling of electronics, Hooper wants to remind Valley County residents of another recycling option in Glasgow, offered by the clients at the Milk River Activity Center, aluminum cans. “This is another great way people can recycle and help out some awesome folks in the community as well. Recycling in the middle of nowhere is not always easy or even practical in some cases but every bit counts!” exclaimed Hooper.

For additional information or to set up a time for pick-up of electronics, Hooper can be contacted at 406-230-1985 or by e-mail [email protected]. Further information can also be found on his website, https://glasgowmontanarecycling.com.