For 30 years, Mike Kasuboski, has tucked away an old CRT TV, not for nostalgia; but because he just couldn’t get rid of it. He tried three different places over the years, and no-one would take the electronic waste. Saturday, Sept. 6, he finally disposed of it at the City eWaste Free Electronic Dumpster event at La Vergne Senior Center.
“I couldn’t find a place to take it,” said Kasuboski. “I tried three different places to get rid of it, and, then I tucked it away out of everyone’s way.”
Now, Kasuboski has reclaimed the space the approximately 100-pound TV had occupied. The TV is on its way to being reduced, reused, or recycled, along with dozens of other TVs, printers, small appliances, and more collected at the Senior Center despite the inclement weather.
Electronic scrap contains a rich composition of valuable materials, including metals, rare earth elements, plastics, and glass. A 2006 U.S. Geological Survey estimated that every million cell phones recycled can re-coop:
- 35,000 pounds of copper
- 772 pounds of silver
- 75 pounds of gold
- 33 pounds of palladium
And that’s just cell phones. Computers, hard drives, small appliances, even broken cords, all have value when kept out of landfills and recycled appropriately.
“Almost everything’s going to get broken down and the parts get aggregated and resold on the commodities or parts market,” explained Erin Westrick with City eWaste. “Some stuff will get melted down to be mined for the precious metals, and, if there is stuff we can re-home, we will do that because it’s ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.’”
“It’s helpful to know it’s really going somewhere it needs to go instead of me just throwing it in the dump,” said Wade Todd, who brought “a whole bunch of gear” that was building up in his garage.
“I needed to get rid of it, and I didn’t know where to take it,” he added. “It’s great to know that we have something like this event.”
There are several options available if you missed this season’s opportunity to dispose of your unwanted electronics, including:
- Rutherford County Recycling Center in La Vergne (Rutherford County residents)
- Sims Lifecycle Services in La Vergne (local Nashville households/residents)
- Ezell Pike Convenience Center in Nashville (Davidson County residents)
Be sure to check facility restrictions and eligibility before visiting. Or, mark your calendars for the next eWaste event at the Senior Center tentatively scheduled for spring 2026. Follow the City of La Vergne Facebook pages or sign up for “Notify Me” at LaVergneTN.gov for updates.
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