UPDATED: Saturday, June 19, 2010 --- 4:15 p.m.
REPORTER: Chris Woodard

The people of Dane County are recycling record breakers and today Madison once again plays host to a collection so massive it can't be topped.

The best part? It's saving you cash.

They're lining the vehicles up and rifling them through.

TVs, computers, you name it they're taking it for free.

For the second year in a row Dane County is partnering with Janesville's Universal Recycling Technologies in this free E-waste collection.

Old electronics that can't be thrown in the trash and people usually have to pay to get rid of are collected here.

In it's first year the event practically shut down beltline traffic when more than 10-thousand cars lined up to drop off electronics surprising organizers.

Jeff Degarmo says, "Absolutely, we had no clue. This community surprises everybody. "

This year the traffic control was ready.

Hundreds of boxes are lined up and there are several different lanes for drivers to come through when dropping things off. They're all improvements and things organizers say they learned after last years huge turnout.

The collection was supposed to start at 8 a.m. today but with cars already lining up they started early and had 7 semi's full before 8 a.m.

Degarmo is with Universal Recycling Technologies and says, "This community is very green. We expect a lot of people to clean out their garages and basements."

The goal is to keep the electronics out of landfills.

Once collected 97-percent of the material is recycled or reused and less than 3-percent is waste.

With every pallet it becomes easier to see how quickly it can pile up.

Dane County officials say the event is the largest E-waste collection of it's kind in North America.

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UPDATED Thursday, June 17, 2010 --- 9:15 a.m.

Press Release:
E-Waste Recycling Event

Madison, WI. June 17, 2010 – On Saturday, June 19th, Dane County will offer an opportunity to safely dispose of old TV’s, computers, and other electronics at the Alliant Energy Center.

The event is held in partnership with a national electronics recycling company headquartered in Janesville. Last year’s event collected 800,000 pounds of old electronics, and more than 10,000 vehicles went through the lines.

Because of the high traffic volume this event may create, Dane County Sheriff’s Deputies will be directing traffic on the roadways surrounding the Alliant Energy Center. Participants are being asked to use either the main entrance to the Alliant Energy Center on Rimrock Road, or the Olin Avenue Entrance. Rusk Avenue will only be used as an exit for the event.

The gates will open at 8:00 am and the event will run through 2:00 pm. Motorists that are not dropping off electronics may want to consider avoiding the area and finding an alternative route for travel to and around the downtown area.

Electronics that will be collected during the event are: televisions, personal computers (including keyboards and mice), computer monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines, calculators, cell phones, radios, stereos, telephones, DVD and CD players, and VCRs.

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Posted Friday, May 21,2010 --- Noon

Press Release from Dane County:

Dane County is once again partnering with a national electronics recycling company headquartered in Janesville to offer a free electronic waste collection on Saturday, June 19th at the Alliant Energy Center. A similar event last May collected 800,000 pounds of old electronics. At the time it was believed to be the largest e-waste round-up of its kind in North America.

“It’ll be tough to top last year’s record performance but thanks to the generosity of our great partners, we’re once again offering this free service hoping to collect many tons of old TVs and computers and keep them out of our landfill,” County Executive Kathleen Falk said.

Falk noted more than 10,000 cars went through the lines at last year’s free e-waste collection. To help move people through quicker this year, the number of drop-off lanes has been doubled and more crates and trucks will be on site and ready for the June 19th free event. Normally private contractors charge fees to take old TVs and computers.

Janesville based Universal Recycling Technology (URT) is once again partnering with electronics manufacturers including the MRM Group which represents Panasonic, Sharp, Toshiba and 20 other manufacturers to cover all the costs of this collection.

“We are very excited to be working with Dane County again this year to collect and properly recycle used electronics from area residents” said Jim Cornwell, President of Universal Recycling Technologies.

The Dane County e-waste recycling event will be Saturday, June 19, 2010 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. The drop-area will be set up in the back parking lot of the Alliant Energy Center. All vehicles must enter either the main entrance off Rimrock Road or the entrance off Olin Avenue. Electronics that will be collected during the event are: television sets of all sizes, personal computers (including keyboards and mice) and computer monitors, printers, scanners, fax machines, calculators, cell phones, radios, stereos, telephones, DVD and CD players, and VCRs.

Because a large number of people are expected to take part, Dane County and its partner agencies need volunteers to help make June 19th a success. Volunteers are needed from 7a m to 3:30pm, in half day or full day shifts. Those interested in helping unload cars and/or direct traffic at the drop-off site are encouraged to contact Jan Neitzel-Knox at Dane County Public Works at 266-4029 or by e-mail at:

neitzel-knox@co.dane.wi.us