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OTC decreases fees for large item disposal [UPDATED]
Published 9:50am Thursday, January 31, 2013 Updated 11:51am Thursday, January 31, 2013Beginning February 1, the cost to dispose of televisions, computers, appliances, and other household items is going down considerably in Otter Tail County.
Televisions under 19 inches, computers, laptops, computer monitors, small printers, major appliances (refrigerators, stoves, freezers, etc.), and microwaves will now cost $5 to dispose of, which is nearly 45 percent less than the old fee of $9 per unit. The fee for televisions larger than 19 inches will decrease slightly as well from $12 to $10 while the fee for large printers stays the same at $9.
Other household goods with decreased fees include sofas and mattresses, which will decrease to $6 per item from $12.
The cost to dispose of stuffed chairs is staying the same at $6.
Scrap metal prices have increased enough in recent years that the recyclers who take the discarded electronics and furniture are paying more for them, meaning the savings can be passed on to the residents of Otter Tail County. Many old CRT TVs and computers contain lead as well as mercury, and it is Otter Tail County’s priority to keep these items out the waste stream, but equally as important, to keep them out of road ditches and other improper dumping sites.
These items can be disposed of at any of the following transfer stations or landfills in Otter Tail County: Fergus Falls Transfer Station on Highway 210 by the airport; Henning Transfer Station on County Highway 65, east on Rocky Ridge Road; Battle Lake Transfer Station on Highway 210, 1.5 miles west of Battle Lake; Pelican Rapids Transfer Station off Highway 108, 1.5 miles northwest of Pelican Rapids; NE Transfer Station on Highway 10, 2 miles west of New York Mills.
Electronics, appliances, and mattresses are recycled once they leave the transfer station. For example, S.W. Inc. in Willmar picks up electronics and appliances where they disassemble each unit, remove all hazardous materials, and recycle all possible components.
Transfer station hours of operation vary by location and season. Please call 218-998-4898 or check the county website at www.co.ottertail.mn.us/solidwaste for more information.
