The City of Greer will host its annual Amnesty Day at the City Recycling Center on Saturday, April 30, giving residents an opportunity to dispose of bulky and nuisance trash items.

The City of Greer will host its annual Amnesty Day at the City Recycling Center on Saturday, April 30, giving residents an opportunity to dispose of bulky and nuisance trash items.

Skipper Burns, Director of Public Services for the city, said Amnesty Day annually provides an opportunity for residents to dispose of items that are not accepted through weekly trash collection.  The city will once again partner with Ace Environmental, Inc. to collect and dispose of the unwanted items.

Of particular interest this year are electronic items dubbed e-waste.  Unwanted electronics like computers, printers, televisions, cell phones and other devices make up one of the nation’s fastest-growing waste streams.  Because these items contain metals and other materials that can be hazardous to human health and the environment if not properly managed, South Carolina lawmakers passed legislation in 2010 that will prohibit electronics from being discarded into landfills beginning July 1, 2011.

Because these items will no longer be accepted in residential trash collection, Amnesty Day is a good time to discard unwanted electronics.

“At last year’s Amnesty Day it seemed like radios and televisions were among the primary items brought in,” Burns said.  “We normally do a brisk business during Amnesty Day because residents have begun their spring cleaning, but as word spreads about e-waste we expect to see even more of those items this year.  It’s a free and easy way to be rid of those items that residents no longer want or need.”