By STEVEN CALHOUN/Staff Writer

The Montevallo Recycling Center will host a recycling day on March 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Citizens can bring by old electronics and recycle them at no charge.

“In four years, we’ve recycled over five and a half tons of electronics out of Montevallo,” Chamber of Commerce executive director Steve Gilbert said. “What this program does is help us keep electronics out of landfills. There’s lead and there are hazardous materials in them … that can harm the environment. This is a green program.”

The goal of the program is to provide a place to dispose of unwanted items. It is a convenient way to minimize one’s impact on the environment and rest assured that the most use will come from the recycled items.

Volunteers will be there to help unload electronics and place them on the truck for transport to a recycling facility, where they will extract the usable components and materials.

“It is a true recycling program. We contract with a company out of Birmingham that … sorts the electronics and breaks them down,” Gilbert said. “You can just drive up … and drop off your computer, there’s no charge for that. They’ll ask you if you want to shred your hard drive.”

Citizens can shred their hard drives for $10. Some people do this to ensure the safety of their privacy by physically destroying their data. The drive will be shredded before their eyes in a special grinder, according to Gilbert.

Items that cannot be accepted include televisions, broken or corroded batteries, items containing mercury, light bulbs, paint, adhesives, caulk, solvents, thinners, flammable or combustible materials, liquids, pressurized containers or household refuse.

The event is sponsored by the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce, Protec Recycling and the city of Montevallo.

The Montevallo Recycling Center is located at 1120 Overland Road in Montevallo.

For more information, call the Chamber of Commerce at 205-665-1519.