Last weekend, the Lawrence-Scioto Solid Waste Management District hosted an e-waste and shred event at The Hills Plaza in Ironton and a second site in Portsmouth.

During the two days the event was running, a total of 264 visited the site to make a drop off.

More than 15,000 lbs. of shred waste were collected, and 5,500 pounds of e-waste, consisting of items such as old hard drives, keyboards and monitors were disposed of.

While many may be tempted to dump old computer components in the trash, monitors, as well as television screens, can contain lead in their cathode ray tubes and be considered toxic and most garbage collections services will not accept them.

Thankfully, the district gave people the opportunity to rid themselves of these items, which can take up much space in a home.

We commend the district and its director Dan Palmer and all the workers who spent hours helping to keep our region clean.

And for those who did not make it to the event, there are several options available to get rid of e-waste.

Many Goodwill stores take part in recycling computer components. Check with your local store to see if they have such a program.