Beginning July 1st, the Marshall County Recycle Depot will ask county residents, businesses, and schools to pay a fee to drop off their
Electronics collected for shipping!
old TVs and computer monitors. Any television or monitor with a screen under 32 inches will cost $10.00; any TV or monitor with a screen over 32 inches will cost $15.00; wooden console and rear projection TVs will cost $20.00. All other electronic waste will still be collected for free.
Marshall County Solid Waste Management District Board of Directors set the new fees at the June 3rd board meeting. The Board, which consists of both county and city elected officials, meets the first Monday of every month at the District office; the meetings are open to the public. The fees are being imposed because the District’s e-waste vendor doubled their prices effective immediately. The fees only cover a fraction of the disposal cost. For example, a single 33-inch cathode-ray tube TV weighing 150 pounds will now cost the District approximately $60 to dispose of.
“This price increase really surprised us,” said District Director Marianne Peters. “Electronic waste is banned from landfills, and it is the largest category of hazardous waste we take at the Depot. Our costs have suddenly gone up by $10,000.00 if we take in as much material as we took in last year.” The District, which is funded by a property tax levy, collected 45 tons of e-waste from county residents, businesses and schools in 2023.
It’s crucial to keep e-waste out of the environment, said Peters.
“Older tube TVs and some flat screens contain heavy metals such as lead and mercury,” she said. “The newer flat screens contain hazardous materials such as cadmium, as well as valuable materials that can be recovered and reused, such as aluminum, gold, silver, and nickel.”
Anyone with questions about the new fees should contact the District at 574-935-8618.