CHAMPAIGN – A long-time recycler of scrap iron and metal will now be accepting household electronics for recycling.

Tom Falender, spokesman for Mervis Industries, said three Mervis outlets in Central Illinois will begin accepting electronics this week at no charge.

Marco Recycling at 302 S. Market St., C; Advantage Recycling, 14 S. Henning Road, Danville; and General Steel & Metals, 612 N. Logan St., Mattoon, will take computers, servers and network devices, monitors, printers, televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, copiers, and cell phones. They will not accept speakers or microwave ovens.

Mervis has been recycling electronics for industrial customers for years but this is the first time they'll be offering the service to the general public, Falender said.

"We feel like it's a community service," Falender said. "This is something the community can use."

Turnout at each of the last few community electronics recycling events in Champaign County, including one Aug. 7 at The News-Gazette distribution center on Apollo Drive in Champaign, has been good. The event earlier this month netted about 100 tons of recycled electronics while a similar event in May resulted in about 60 tons being recycled. The next community-wide event is set for Oct. 30.

Falender said the Mervis outlets will offer the service free until the end of the year, then review how it's working.

"We're not sure if the revenue (generated) will cover the cost," he said.

He said Mervis Industries has partnered with another company that will dissemble the products and dispose of them according to "Responsible Recycling (R2) practices" established by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"We'll guarantee anything on the memory will be wiped," he said.

Falender said Mervis intends to "repurpose" some of the computers, after they have been wiped clean, and donate them to charities or under-served schools.

"We feel like because (retired company president) Lou (Mervis) was involved with the Illinois State Board of Education for years, this is a good way to give back to the community," Falender said.

More information about the Mervis company is available online.