Free Event Open to All Durham Residents

DURHAM, N.C. – Durham residents looking for an easy and free way to recycle electronic waste (e-waste), shred confidential documents, and drop-off of their reusable household goods should attend the City of Durham’s ReUse Rodeo, E-Waste Recycling & Paper Shredding Event next month.

The City’s Solid Waste Management Department is hosting this free event on Saturday, October 13 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Durham County Memorial Stadium on the home side parking lot, located at 750 Stadium Dr. Staff will be on hand to assist with unloading old electronics, paper, and donated items.

Third Annual Durham ReUse Rodeo

The Third Annual Durham ReUse Rodeo, sponsored by Keep Durham Beautiful and the Durham County General Services Department, will provide residents with an opportunity to drop off gently used items at this “one-stop drop” event to be repurposed back into the community. All items donated onsite will be given to participating non-profits, including Durham Rescue Mission and Habitat Restore among others. Accepted items include books, clothing, furniture, electronics, household appliances, cookware, tools, craft supplies, miscellaneous household items, and more. All items should be clean and in working order. A complete list of acceptable items can be found on the ReUse Rodeo webpage. Donation receipts will be available for tax purposes.

E-Waste Recycling

Nearly all electronic devices with a cord will be accepted including:

• Computers, laptops, keyboards, mice, printers, monitors, speakers, copiers, scanners, circuit boards, hard drives, computer parts, etc.
• Televisions, stereo equipment, tape players, receivers, amplifiers, record players, etc.
• Kitchen electronics, such as microwaves, mixers, blenders, choppers, etc.
• Telephones, cell phones, and fax machines
• Hair dryers, curling irons, alarm clocks, and vacuum cleaners
• Power tools, cordless tools, etc.
• Electronic toys, such as keyboards and video game systems
• This event will NOT accept large appliances, refrigerators, air conditioners or any other appliances that contain Freon in non-working condition.

 Paper Shredding

Confidential paper shredding will also be provided on site. Shredding requirements include:

• Paper may contain paper clips and staples; however, hanging file folders will not be accepted.
• Only paper should be brought for shredding. CDs, DVDs, and other non-paper items will not be accepted. 
• All paper should be loose and not in binders or other binding items made of non-paper.
• Residents may be present to observe their confidential document shredding if the amount to be shredded can fit into one 96-gallon roll cart (approximately 240 pounds of material or approximately eight small, banker boxes of material).
• Participants with larger quantities will have items placed in boxes to be shredded off-site at Shimar Recycling’s secure facility. 

Durham residents who can’t attend this October 13 event can still safely and conveniently recycle their old electronics at no charge at the City’s Waste Disposal and Recycling Center (Transfer Station), located at 2115 E. Club Blvd. The facility is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

For information about items accepted at this event or the City’s recycling facilities, contact Durham One Call at (919) 560-1200 or visit the City’s Solid Waste Management Department webpage to search for items accepted in the curbside recycling program. 

About the City of Durham Solid Waste Management Department

The Solid Waste Management Department promotes and supports a high quality of life for the residents of Durham by providing comprehensive, responsive, environmentally-safe, efficient and cost-effective solid waste collection, recycling and disposal programs. Department services include roll-out cart collection, cart delivery and repair service, cardboard collection, yard waste collection, waste reduction and recycling, bulky item pick-up, and disposal services. The Department supports the City’s Strategic Plan by providing professional management that contributes to creating thriving, livable neighborhoods as well as an innovative and high-performing organization.

About Keep Durham Beautiful
Keep Durham Beautiful is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the City of Durham General Services Department and Durham County to encourage residents, businesses, and community organizations to protect the environment and enhance the appearance of Durham through cleanup events, beautification projects, waste reduction, and educational activities. To learn more follow on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and Twitter.