Pittsburgh Mills turns into first of 6 hard-to-recycle collections; Members should register upfront

A hard-to-recycle event next month at the Pittsburgh Mills in Frazer will kick off a series of six such events in the area this summer and fall.

The events, part of the Pennsylvania Resource Council’s hard-to-recycle collection campaign, allow residents to get rid of items like cell phones, tires, televisions, computer parts, and more that are not normally collected by garbage trucks and Pittsburgh’s environmental services. Those wishing to submit such items are encouraged to register in advance in order to streamline the process, according to the organizers. These and other measures are designed to reduce person-to-person interactions and prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Registration for the May 22nd event in Pittsburgh Mills is open.

“To streamline the process at our events, we ask attendees to wear face coverings and stay in their vehicles while the contractor unloads the materials,” said Sarah Alessio Shea, Interim General Manager of the PRC.

The six events planned for the region are:

• Saturday, May 22nd – Pittsburgh Mills Mall, Frazer, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm;

• July 10th – Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale;

• July 31 – La Roche University at McCandless;

• Aug 21 – Next Tier Connect at Pittsburgh East, Monroeville;

• August 28th – Bethel Park High School in Bethel Park; and

• October 2nd – Settlers Cabin Park near Robinson, North Fayette and Collier.

Residents can bring e-waste, cell phones, alkaline batteries, freon-containing devices, tires and more to the Pittsburgh Mills from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. May 9.

Over the past 16 years, hard-to-recycle events have collected 2 million pounds of electronics, more than 12,000 tires, 3,700 devices, and more.

Some items are recycled for free, others for a fee.

Materials collected for free: PCs (towers), laptops, mice and keyboards; Home phones and cell phones; Tablets, PDAs and uninterruptible power supplies; Servers, routers and modems; Web and digital cameras; DVD players and VCRs; Paper shredder; Clock radio; Stereos; Microwaves; Copiers, fax machines and scanners; electronic cables; Video game consoles; Expanded polystyrene packaging material; Compact fluorescent lamps; Glass bottles, jugs and jars (all colors, labels and lids can be left on).

Materials collected for a fee: Computer monitors, $ 20; Television, $ 30; Console or rear projection television, $ 40; Printer, $ 5; Alkaline batteries: $ 1.50 per pound; small devices containing freon, $ 10 each; CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and floppy disks, $ 1 a pound; Tires, $ 3.50 without rims and $ 10 with rims; Verification of data destruction on the hard drive: USD 11.50 for the first and USD 3 for each additional hard drive; and fluorescent tubes: $ 2 to $ 3.50.

Difficult to recycle accepts cash, checks, credits, or direct debits. The organizers suggest that attendees consider bringing cash as people move through the cash-only trail faster.

It will be on site to help participants unload their recyclables.

Participants must register in advance at prc.org/HTRregistration or by calling 412-488-7490, extension. 3. Registration for each event begins one month in advance.

Visit the Pennsylvania Resources Council website for more information.

Natasha Lindstrom is a contributor to Tribune Review. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@triblive.com, or on Twitter.