The City of Knoxville is partnering with several organizations including the Optimist Club of West Knoxville and the Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad to host two "Plug into Your Community" computer recycling events in Knoxville and Knox County this month.

Both are drive through, drop off and leave events meaning residents won't even have to leave their vehicles to recycle old computers, laptops and some other electronic items.

The first "Plug into Your Community" event will be from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Saturday, January 8, at Farragut High School, while the second one will take place from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on January 22, at Chilhowee Park.

Both computer recycling events will take place rain, snow or shine. 

These free electronic waste collections events give people a chance to properly dispose of electronics items that contain hazardous materials and keeps computer equipment from taking up space in landfills.

Recycling electronics also allows for the salvage of materials that can be re-used in the manufacture of new electronic products, which helps the environment by reducing the need for raw materials in the process.

Acceptable items include computer equipment like PC systems, CPUs, monitors, mice, keyboards, printers, scanners, laptops, modems, hard drives, speakers, power cords, cables, phones, power strips, desktop copiers, fax machines, and cell phones.

These items may contain significant amounts of hazardous metals. Some switches and relays, for instance, may contain mercury and printed circuit boards and monitors may contain metals like lead, chromium, cadmium and mercury.

Unacceptable items for the two events include microwaves, electronic equipment containing hazardous chemicals, small refrigerators, stoves, appliances, scrap metal, aluminum cans, cardboard and paper.

There is no charge to drop off your old computer and other related electronic devices but donations will gladly be accepted and will benefit the Optimist Club of West Knoxville and the Volunteer Rescue Squad. Other sponsors of the event include WBIR-TV, Best Buy, WUOT-91.9 FM, Creative Recycling., Knox County's Solid Waste Department and, B97.5

This has been a popular event that's been expanded to two dates because of the interest in recycling these items.

Participating residents will be eligible to enter to win a wide screen TV from Best Buy.

Over 2500 residents recycled 146 tons of computers and peripherals during last year's recycling events, which were also held at Farragut High School and Chilhowee Park.

According to John Homa, Solid Waste Project Manager for the City of Knoxville, recycling those materials is the equivalent to saving the energy use of 34 households a year, saving 1107 barrels of oil, 51,313 gallons of gasoline, and removing emissions from the air of 79 vehicles for a year.

In addition to the "Plug into Your Community" events residents can also recycle their old computers for free at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center at 1033 Elm St. during regular business hours.

Please visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/solidwaste for more information.