Northern Kentucky residents will have a new way to recycle electronic waste year-round, starting with a special drop-off event April 5 at BlairTech’s Tech Castle retail location in Latonia.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 4314 Boron Drive and partners BlairTech, the City of Covington and Keep Covington Beautiful, a program of The Center for Great Neighborhoods. It supplements the city’s annual e-waste drop-off event in June at Holmes High School’s parking lot.
Unlike the June event, which also takes paper, Styrofoam and appliances, the April 5 drop-off focuses only on electronics. Items containing data, such as laptops, towers, copiers and printers, go directly into a secure, locked area before undergoing a strict data-wiping and destruction process that meets federal standards.
BlairTech refurbishes many collected devices for reuse instead of simply recycling them. Workers break down any non-reusable components and send them to vetted, certified downstream processors as part of the company’s zero-landfill commitment.
“Sustainability has always been at the core of what we do,” said Laura Blair, BlairTech’s marketing director. “If a device cannot be refurbished, repurposed or reused, we meticulously break it down into categorized components and send it to processors who share our zero-landfill commitment.”
Sheila Fields, Covington’s solid waste and recycling manager, said the city values BlairTech’s strong focus on sustainability.
“This partnership provides a local and convenient way for our community to dispose of electronic waste at no charge not only on April 5 but anytime during the year,” Fields said. “Tech Castle and BlairTech lead a circular economy that creates jobs, offsets carbon and keeps material out of landfills.”
E-waste recycling impact
E-waste ranks as the world’s fastest-growing waste problem, making up 70% of toxic landfill waste while accounting for just 2% of landfill volume, according to the City of Covington. Recycling electronics helps recover rare metals and valuable materials, reducing the need for mining and cutting environmental pollution.
BlairTech, celebrating 20 years in business, ranks among the largest computer refurbishers in the United States, specializing in renewed desktops and laptops for consumers, businesses and schools. Its Tech Castle location, housed in the former Johnny’s Toys Castle, serves as a retail storefront, repair shop and recycling hub. The facility runs partially on solar energy and holds NAID certification, ensuring all data undergoes secure erasure beyond Department of Defense standards.
Tech Castle operates from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, but will open Saturday, April 5, for the event.
Residents can drop off computers, accessories, routers, printers, copiers, video game systems, TVs and cellphones. Fees for recycling flat-screen TVs, CRT monitors and alkaline batteries will be waived during the April 5 event but apply for future drop-offs.
In addition to collecting e-waste, BlairTech will accept gently used books for a Little Free Library on-site, supporting the City of Covington’s Read Ready Covington early childhood literacy program.
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