Annual drop-off event provides secure, eco-friendly disposal 

COVINGTON, Ky. – Looking to clear out old electronics, confidential documents, foam packaging, or other hard-to-dispose-of items? Covington residents and organizations can do so safely and responsibly at the City’s annual E-Waste and Foam Recycling and Paper Shred Event on Saturday, June 20. 

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Holmes High School (enter via Madison Avenue). Now in its 11th year, the event is hosted by the City of Covington in partnership with the Center for Great Neighborhoods and its Keep Covington Beautiful program. 

Accepted items include: 

• Electronic waste 

• Confidential documents for shredding 

• Certain types of foam packaging materials 

• Batteries, light bulbs, and other miscellaneous items 

The event is free for Covington residents, small businesses, schools, churches, and nonprofits. Donations will be accepted to help offset event costs. No registration is required. 

Proper disposal and recycling of electronic waste supports environmental sustainability by keeping valuable materials out of landfills and returning them to productive use. 

“We must minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency by keeping components, products, and materials in use for as long as possible,” Solid Waste and Recycling Manager Sheila Fields said. “Recovering valuable materials and reintegrating them into the production cycle not only conserves resources but also creates jobs.” 

Keep Covington Beautiful has contracted with R2 RIOS-certified Cohen Recycling to collect and responsibly recycle computers, cell phones, and other electronics that may contain hazardous materials such as lead, cadmium, and mercury. 

Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam collected at the event will be processed by Boone County Solid Waste and then sent to Eco Development, where it will be recycled into new products. 

Shred-it® will provide on-site document shredding to help residents safely dispose of sensitive information and reduce the risk of identity theft. Cardboard collected at the event will be transported by Kenton County’s Solid Waste Management Division. 

While many paper products can be recycled through the City’s curbside program, security experts say documents containing personal or confidential information should be shredded. Examples include bank statements, tax records, medical records, insurance documents, credit card statements, pay stubs, utility bills, voided checks, and other records containing personal information. 

Accepted Items 

Electronics 

• Computers and accessories, including towers, laptops, monitors, keyboards, mice, servers, routers, modems, cables, and power cords 

• Hard drives, speakers, and switches 

• Tablets and LCD screens 

• Telephones and cell phones 

• Printers, fax machines, and copiers 

• Stereo equipment 

• TVs, VCRs, DVRs, remotes, and gaming systems 

• Cable and satellite boxes 

• Microwaves 

• CRT monitors 

Paper 

• Must be loose and dry 

• Staples and paper clips do not need to be removed 

Foam 

• Must be clean and free of tape, stickers, and food residue 

• Accepted: Clean EPS (expanded polystyrene) foam, such as coolers and protective packaging 

• Not accepted: Fast-food containers, foam cups, packing peanuts, or compostable packing peanuts 

Miscellaneous 

• Alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt) 

• Lithium-ion, rechargeable, and button-cell batteries 

• Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, including LEDs, CFLs, and tubes 

Items Not Accepted 

• Thermostats and mercury switches 

• Equipment containing biological waste, chemicals, oils, or fluids 

• Radioactive materials, asbestos, or PCBs 

• Equipment with tanks or sealed units 

• Large appliances 

For more information, contact the Covington Solid Waste and Recycling Division at (859) 292-2121 or sfields@covingtonky.gov.