PHOTO VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

Just in time for spring cleaning, the Pennsylvania Resources Council is launching another hard-to-recycle collection campaign starting June 4.

Throughout the summer and fall, there are four such collections held in partnership with the Allegheny County Health Department, enabling folks to safely recycle a wide variety of items not traditionally accepted by curbside collection. This includes e-waste such as cellphones and computer towers, tires and small Freon appliances, which could otherwise be left to pollute in landfills.

“It’s important to divert electronics and other hard-to-recycle materials from landfills since many contain toxic elements that can harm the environment, while others contain valuable materials that can be recycled,” said PRC Executive Director Darren Spielman in a statement.

He added that this is the 20th season of the organization’s hard-to-recycle events, and that it has so far collected 3.35 million pounds of e-waste from more than 40,000 households. 

There will be a small fee for some of the materials, such as televisions, tires, fluorescent tubes, small appliances, printers and computer monitors. Other items — cell phones, computer towers, keyboards, microwave ovens, video game consoles, DVD players and glass bottles, jugs and jars, for example — will be accepted for free.

The fees range from $2 to $40 depending on the item, but you can find a breakdown of costs here. 

At this time, the council is unable to accept batteries, VHS tapes, DVDs, Cassette tapes or compact fluorescent lamps. You can visit this website for mail-in media recycling options. For battery and CFL recycling, visit Batteries Plus Bulbs (or call 412-366-3658) for locations close to you.

The following is a list of events taking place in Allegheny County, all on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• June 4 – Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer 
• July 23 – Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale
• July 30 – Next Tier Connect @ Pittsburgh East, Monroeville
• October 1 – Settlers Cabin Park

“We are proud of the positive impact we’ve had on the environment, and we invite those just learning of these vital programs to join us in 2022 by attending an event, volunteering or becoming a member,” Spielman said.

Participants must register in advance here, or by calling 412-488-7490 x1.