DMASWA Electronics Recycling Program

There are several computer and electronics reuse and recycling options in Dubuque and Delaware counties.

Electronics Disposal and Recycling Program Changes

In the Fall of 2006, the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA) began its Electronics Recycling Program at the Dubuque Metro Landfill. Since then, Dubuque and Delaware county residents and businesses have been able to have their unwanted electronics recycled instead of buried in the Landfill.

As of July 1, 2011, electronics are no longer buried and will only be recycled at the Dubuque Metro Landfill. The costs charged to the Agency by its recycling contractor will be passed back to the Agency's customers.

Electronics Recycling Fees (As of July 1, 2011):

The Agency's Electronics Recycling Program provides an environmentally-sound and economically-feasible disposal option for old, unwanted electronics. Electronics are defined as anything containing a circuit board and/or cathode ray tube (CRT or "picture tube"). Examples include: computer monitors and CPUs, cell phones, televisions, printers, DVD players and VCRs. All recycled electronics are broken down into salvageable components at a secure demanufacturing facility in Davenport. To ensure data security, computers are not refurbished or reused.

The DMASWA changed its electronics disposal program because it is not only concerned about the space used electronics take up in the Dubuque Metro Landfill, but also because of the hazardous materials contained in the electronics - lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, chromium, lithium, and PCBs, among others. Electronics also contain many materials made from natural resources, some of which are not renewable and will be depleted over time. By recycling electronics, those valuable natural resources are used again to make new products, water pollution is prevented, and energy is saved in the extraction and manufacturing processes.

For more information, contact Chuck Goddard, DMASWA Administrator, at (563) 589-4250.