MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — If you’ve wondered what you can do with your tattered tees, old tires, used toner cartridges and tossed-out mattresses, Middle Tennessee State University is hosting the perfect event to help.

The Murfreesboro Recycling Roundup is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at the MTSU Rutherford Parking Lot, 602 N. Rutherford Blvd.

“MTSU totally supports the education on the need for recycling and the need to develop the awareness of necessary recycling for the environment,” said Linda Hardymon, Recycling Program manager at the MTSU Center for Energy Efficiency, who is overseeing the event on campus.

The free public event is presented through a partnership between MTSU, the Tennessee Environmental Council’s Recycle Tennessee and the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Nobody Trashes Tennessee programs.

You can check out a previous recycling event here:

“The Murfreesboro event is made possible by a grant we received from TDOT to continue these much-needed roundup events across the state,” explained Abby Schneider, Recycle Tennessee program director for the Tennessee Environmental Council.

Although there is no charge to drop off, there is an additional fee on mattresses and tires beyond the allotted limit — two mattresses and/or eight tires per vehicle. And the donation center may close once at capacity, so participants are encouraged to arrive early.

Once at the drop-off site, drivers will be instructed where to go. Booths will be set up for different recycled materials and volunteers will assist participants with the process.

The community is encouraged to watch for updates by the Tennessee Environmental Council on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram.

What can you drop off?

Items that will be accepted include:

• Clean items able to be dropped off at the roundup include:

• Clothing and textiles (no carpet, rugs or pillows)

• Ink cartridges and toner

• Flattened cardboard

• Electronics

• Scrap metal

• Pet supplies

• Styrofoam blocks

• Glass (food and beverage)

• Paper for secure shredding

• Small batteries

• Tires (up to 8, with $1 incurred for anything extra)

• Mattresses (limit two per vehicle; a $10 charge will be incurred for any additional)

For more details and a complete explanation of items that can be dropped off, visit TECTN.org/MurfreesboroRoundup, email Ginger Reasonover at Ginger@TECTN.org or call 615-379-8259.

“It is a pleasure to be asked to provide a venue and support for TEC to use MTSU as part of the Recycling Roundup Program for Murfreesboro and Rutherford County,” Hardymon said. “We share the same goals in providing a means to keep the various items collected out of the landfills.”

MTSU history of recycling

Recycling isn’t new on the MTSU campus. The late Patrick Doyle, a biology professor, started the Biology Club’s recycling program out of a garage on the outskirts of campus.

At some point, they started keeping records. Between 1990 and 2020, Hardymon estimates over 8.2 million pounds of office paper has been recycled and nearly a billion pounds of newspaper have been saved from the landfill. Since 1987, there have been 698,000 pounds of aluminum and other metals recycled.

Recycling initiatives on campus are managed through MTSU’s Center for Energy Efficiency. The center was established in 1999 with the mission to develop, implement and advance energy management practices on campus.

To learn more about recycling on campus and the MTSU Recycling Program, visit https:// mtsu.edu/cee/recyclingmtsu.php.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)