City eWaste waives small-electronics fees through Oct. 21

Broken earbuds, tangled chargers and old smart watches can be recycled for free in Franklin through Wednesday, Oct. 21.

City eWaste, the Franklin-based electronics recycler, is waiving fees on what it calls "fast tech" in recognition of International E-Waste Day, as first reported by Williamson Source. The promotion started Wednesday, Oct. 14, and covers the smaller gadgets that normally carry a recycling fee.

International E-Waste Day is an annual awareness campaign focused on the growing volume of discarded electronics worldwide. City eWaste is marking the occasion by letting Franklin residents and businesses recycle those items at no cost for one week.

The eligible list is long. It includes earbuds, charging cables, USB adapters, LED string lights, headphones, Bluetooth speakers, power banks, battery packs, fitness trackers, game controllers, electronic toys, remotes, streaming devices, memory cards, flash drives, digital cameras, music players and small household appliances.

Matthew Rogers, CEO and founder of City eWaste, said small items like broken earbuds and old chargers often get tossed in the trash without a second thought. "Those items contain batteries, metals and plastics that shouldn't end up in a landfill," he said.

Residents can drop off items at City eWaste headquarters, 1209 Lakeview Drive, Suite 100, on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 21.

Businesses get a separate option. They can add eligible items to a scheduled pickup at no charge during the promotion. The business list includes headsets, keyboards, mice, webcams and chargers. Pickups can be arranged at cityewaste.com or by calling (615) 807-0520.

The promotion applies only to the smaller gadgets. Laptops, computers, phones, tablets and cords can already be recycled at City eWaste for free year-round, the company noted on its website.

Upcoming community dates: