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 event will be on Saturday, October 21 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Durham County Memorial Stadium on the visitors side parking lot, located at 750 Stadium Dr. Staff will be on hand to assist with unloading old electronics, paper, clothing, etc.

Second Annual Durham ReUse Rodeo

The Second Annual Durham ReUse Rodeo 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 TROSA, Families Moving Forward, Recyclique and Holt Elementary School. 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 and donation receipts will be available for tax purposes. A complete list of acceptable items can be found on the ReUse Rodeo webpage.

 E-waste Recycling and Paper Shredding

The e-waste recycling and paper shredding portion of this event, sponsored by the City of Durham Solid Waste Management Department, Sonoco Recycling, Shimar Recycling, Synergy Recycling, and Durham County Government, will accept nearly all electronic devices with a cord, 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.

 Confidential paper shredding will also be provided on site. Requirements for shredding 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. 

Residents who can’t attend the October 21 event can still safely and conveniently recycle old electronics at the City’s Waste Disposal and Recycling Center. The Center, located at 2115 E. Club Blvd., is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 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.