More than 21 tons of scrap computer and other electronic equipment was collected in Dakota, Thurston, Burt and Washington Counties through an E-Waste recycling effort sponsored by the Papio-Missouri River NRD. Items collected included computers, monitors, televisions, microwaves, copiers, video and audio equipment and other electronics.

The collections took place at U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Centers on April 7th in Tekamah and Blair and April 9th in Dakota City and Walthill. "211 households and 34 businesses participated in these collections," said Deborah Ward, Papio-Missouri River NRD Program Assistant in the NRD's Tekamah Field Office. "These events were very successful despite rain, sleet and even a little snow. Participants were so grateful for the opportunity to recycle their e-waste that we hope to organize another series of free collections in 2016," said Ward.

NRD employees and volunteers from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Nebraska Loess Hills Resource Conservation & Development Council, and Tekamah Herman High School staffed the collection and assisted with promotion and pre-collection events. The materials collected will be recycled by Secure Recyclers of Lincoln, NE. Funding was provided through the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Program of the NE Department of Environmental Quality.

"Recycling is just one of many natural resources protection program areas of the state's 23 Natural Resources Districts," said NRD General Manager, John Winkler. "This effort is just another example of how the Papio NRD works cooperatively with our constituents from all parts of the District to protect life, property and our natural resources for generations to come," he said.

Photo information 
(From left) Bill Woehler, Lance Olerich, Lowell Roeber, Wally Juhlin, and Jon Krause, Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (NRD) staff, assist with the scrap electronics collection which was held recently at the USDA Service Center in Dakota City. A total of 211 households and 34 businesses participated in the event which was held in the communities of Dakota City, Walthill, Tekamah, and Blair. The collection event was free of charge to local Nebraska residents and businesses. Funding was provided by the Papio-Missouri River NRD and Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ). Secure Recyclers of Lincoln was the disposal contractor and is only one of a few companies certified for destruction and recycling of banking, medical/hospital, and governmental agency information.